Saturday 7 May 2022
Photos by Tom and Elizabeth
Seven club members braved an early chilly start to do the Broulee Island Grave walk. Setting out from the Broulee Surf club we made our way along Shark Bay beach to the Island. While it is still referred to as an island it has not been so since 1988.
The tide was low so good time was made crossing balsalt rock rather than having to traverse a pebbly path. Morning tea was had near an old 1920s site for shipping out shell grit with views to North Broulee beach and across towards Mossy Point and Guerilla Bay.
Since the club last did the walk to the Grave there has been considerable regrowth and many trees downed in storms. As a result paths were not readily visible and there was quite a bit of bushbashing to reach the Grave of Elizabeth Maleber, who died in 1842 making it one of the oldest grave sites on the South Coast. Her husband was a sea captain who operated the punt on Moruya river. Much of the attraction of the grave and the island is its colourful history. A hotel, built there 1840-1841 by Captain Oldrey, was leased by an Irishman called Macauley. He named it the Erinn go Bragh (Ireland Forever). The hotel was dismantled and moved to Moruya following a huge storm which opened up the mouth of the Moruya River making it the preferred port.
Karen