The second Gwydir
Norah Head became the centre of the sinking of two ships of the same name, owned by the same company and thus began the myth of the Curse of the Gwydir. Both ships belonged to the Newcastle and Hunter River Steamship Company
The first Gwydir to go down hit rocks approx 1km south of Norah head on 28th Nov 1894 during a fog. Attempts were made to rescue her by another steam ship but she was eventually abandoned and slid into deeper water during a gale. She was approx 600 tons and had been running passengers and cargo between Newcastle and Sydney as did all the ships of this line
The second Gwydir was a steamship of 2000 tons and collided with the SS New Hebrides off Norah Head and was badly damaged enough to be run ashore. Attempts to salvage her failed and she eventually broke up. I guess the carcases of those ships will still be among the shifting sands off the coast here. The loss of two ships of the same name, in the same place, and run by the same company was noteworthy enough to be considered a curse on ships of the name. The word Gwydir means “Wild Country”.
Sources
The secong Gwydir to go down
http://www.wrecksite.eu/imgBrowser.aspx?25225
Thank you Dennis
The first Gwydir sank in 1894 and not 1984