City of York

City of York was a iron ship which sank after hitting a reef off Rottnest Island in the last few kilometres of its voyage from San Francisco to Fremantle, Western Australia in 1899. The three masted, , iron-hulled ship was built in 1869 by Glasgow shipbuilders J. Elder and Company. The British owners were the 'Ship City of York Company'. Sinking The vessel departed San Francisco on 13 April 1899 under Captain Phillip Jones with a cargo of of Oregon timber and 3,638 doors. After making a record passage to Western Australia, she approached Rottnest from the north on the afternoon of 12 July 1899 in stormy weather including blinding rain and heavy seas. At that time, Wadjemup Lighthouse at the centre of the island was the single lighthouse on Rottnest. The ship was seen by the lighthouse keeper at 4:30 pm on a north-westerly bearing about 29 km (18 mi) off the coast of the island, heading north-east. The keeper telephoned the news of the sighting to the head pilot who was on duty in the main island settlement at Thompson Bay who readied himself and his pilot boat to go to the assistance of the ship once it signalled for a pilot.