Kenn Reefs - History

History

Kenn's Reef was discovered on 3 April 1824 by Alexander Kenn, Master of the ship William Shand, on her passage from Sydney to Batavia (modern day Jakarta) and was described as “extending in the direction of North West by North 1/2 North for ten miles, and is composed of sand and rocks, some of which, at the south end, were six or eight feet out of the water: it is six miles broad; the centre of the edge (? north) is in latitude 21 degrees 9 minutes, and longitude 155 degrees 49 minutes (by chronometer and lunars): it was found to bear South 67 degrees West, six miles from Bird Islet, of Wreck Reef”

The William Shand at the time was considered a new fast sailing ship owned by Lumsdon & Co with the vessel constructed in 1818 in Sunderland, UK. The vessel was single deck ship with beams; sheathed in copper in 1822 and with a displacement of 294 tons and a draft under load of 15 feet and had already made several trips from the UK to Hobart and Sydney carrying cargo (typically with a cargo of cedar, oil, and other articles, procured in the Colony for the return journey) and both steerage and Cabin Passengers

Captain Alexander Kenn, Master of the ship William Shand died on or about 7 February 1829 at Launceston in Van Diemen's Land