Batavia Road (boat)

Batavia Road was one of the first boats used for a commercial tourist operation in the Houtman Abrolhos.

Batavia Road taking on passengers, circa 1947
History
General characteristics

Between 1946 and 1948, Batavia Road and Suda Bay were used by Dal Gaze and Alan Fox to transport tourists to and from the Houtman Abrolhos, especially Pelsaert Island. This represents the first known commercial tourist operation in the Houtman Abrolhos. In 1948, the partnership between Gaze and Fox broke up, but Gaze continued using Batavia Road for tourism, and also used it to transport stores to fishermen stationed in the Pelsaert Group. During a severe storm in June 1948, it ran aground on Half Moon Reef and was nearly sunk. Gaze eventually wound up his tourist operation in 1951.[1] Batavia Road later foundered on rocks 30 kilometres (20 mi) north of Geraldton in January 1974.

References

1. "Sustainable Tourism Plan for the Abrolhos Islands" (PDF). Fisheries Management Paper. Perth, Western Australia: Fisheries Western Australia. 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2007. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Further reading

• Dickson, Rod. Ships registered in Western Australia from 1856, Volume 7. p. 16.
• Uren, Norman (1949). Abrolhos Islands. Western Australian Education Department, Government Instructional Films (unpublished).