Marie Gabrielle

Wreck occurred: 1869
Where: West of Moonlight Head in proximity to the Fiji

The large steel hulled French registered and crewed barque ran aground at 1 am on Wreck Beach just west of Moonlight Head. The crew waited until daylight and all got to shore safely in the ships boat. 4 crew members stayed with the boat with the remainder heading west along the coast bound for Cape Otway.

Without water and food and faring badly by the third day the crew came across the lightkeepers children on a beach below the lighthouse. The frightened children not understanding French and alarmed by the crews dishevelled appearance promptly ran off and got help from the lightkeeper Henry Ford.

A rescue party was sent to recover the remaining crew and all were hosted locally for over a month until the twice yearly lighthouse supply boat could return them to Melbourne.

Mystery surrounds the fate of South Pacific islanders that were also crew on the boat.