The Surf Lifesaving Association of Australia is a voluntary body, which teaches the work of life saving on our beaches. … The Association now wishes to organize Clubs throughout the South Coast from Eden to Kiama (they already exist between Kiama and Sydney), and with this end in view arrangements have been made for the Instructor in Chief of the Association – Mr. W. V. Craven, of Bondi Life Saving Club, to spend three weeks touring the District.

Wreck of the Benandra. Our town was aroused to the highest pitch of excitement on Tuesday afternoon when an urgent ‘phone message from Pilot Rose stated that the steamer Benandra had grounded on the bar and was sinking, and calling for assistants to rescue those on board.

The Benandra was a sister ship to the Bodalla which was lost on the Narooma bar on 19^th January last. Both boats were specially designed and built at Balmain in 1914 for the South Coast trade. …

On Monday she unloaded her cargo, and reloaded general cargo and timber for Sydney. She left the town wharf about 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday. On her way down the river she called at Preddy’s wharf and took on a few tons of chaff she had unloaded the previous day. She had been obliged to over carry this forage through the heavy seas preventing her calling at Pebbley Beach on her trip from Sydney. Just after clearing the bar about 2.15 p.m. a heavy swell lifted and dropped her onto the sandspit about 150 yards further on. The force with which the heavily laden vessel struck the sand evidently burst her sides, as within a few minutes wreckage was floating about. The inrush of water quickly put the fires out thus leaving the vessel powerless and Captain Richmond and his crew were forced to abandon the doomed ship, which they did in one of the lifeboats.

The only passenger was a man named William Ward who had for the past two weeks been employed at Mr. P. J. Mylott’s bakery.

It appears that the unfortunate man, who was a returned soldier, was seen making his way back to his cabin for (it is understood) souvenirs which belonged to his dead soldier sons. It is surmised that he fell into the engine room, the door of which closed and jammed. Some of the sailors endeavored to rescue the man, but their efforts were futile, as the vessel was quickly breaking up, and they had to make for the boat and leave the poor fellow to his fate.

Soon after the ship was abandoned the shores on both sides were strewn with wreckage. Three pigs and three or four ducks reached the shore alive.

It was reported that there was no prospect of salvage.