Sea Mines

ABOUT THIS ITEM

Additional InformationGerman sea mines would occasionally wash up on the Australian coast for years after the end of World War I.

A marine mine was found on the beach at Teewah Bay by Robert Megarity on Saturday 19 February 1921. It was estimated to weight between 4-6 cwt and featured the customary ‘horns’. Local fisherman suggested that the oysters growing on it were about four years old. When the discovery of the mine was reported, the weapon was placed under guard by the police until naval officers could arrive from Brisbane to disarm it.

Four naval officers under the charge of Lieutenant Patrick Keane and including D J McDougall and T Conlon travelled from Brisbane on Monday 21 February 1921. They were met by Constable Sexton in Tewantin who took the party to Teewah. The mine was inspected and, although it had no markings, was identified as being of German manufacture. They dismantled it and took the contents and explosives back to Brisbane. It was believed that the mine had been washed up quite recently, probably in the rough seas of the previous few days.

Mrs I D Ward provides a more detailed description in her report to the Toowoomba Chronicle. Read more here: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/253175482?searchTerm=mine%20AND%20teewah

A second larger mine was found on Noosa Beach by Mr George Massoud on 28 March 1944, during World War II. Like its predecessor, it was placed under police guard until naval men disarmed it. Naval officers identified it as also being of German manufacture.

Both shells were mounted in cement in Tewantin’s Memorial Reserve where they remain a feature.

NOTES:
1. Some news articles report the name as Robert McGoorty. This is believed to be a misspelling.
2. Centum weight, approximately 200-300 kg

SOURCES:
Brisbane Courier, 21 February, 1921, p. 7
Darling Downs Gazette, 24 February 1921, p. 4
Maryborough Chronicle, 21 February 1921, p. 2
Maryborough Chronicle, 24 February 1921, p. 2
Nambour Chronicle, 11 December 1925, p. 5
The Telegraph, 29 March 1944, p. 3
The Telegraph, 30 March 1944, p. 4
Toowoomba Chronicle, 1 March 1921, p. 3
Warwick Daily News, 5 April 1944, p. 2

Photograph

German Sea Mines, Tewantin-Noosa RSL War Memorial Park, Tewantin, 13 November 1948

German Sea Mines, Tewantin-Noosa RSL War Memorial Park, Tewantin, 1952

Tewantin War Memorial and sea mines, Memorial Park, Tewantin

IDENTIFIERS

Subject (Keywords)World War IWar MemorialsWorld War II

CONNECTIONS

LocalityTewantinPlaceTewantin Memorial ParkMenuLocation | TewantinTopic | CommunityDecade | 1940-1949Decade | 1920-1929