On 21 April 1870, 9000 citizens turned out in their finest dresses and suits and hats to watch the detonation of the shipwreck of the Lightning.

Once the fastest wooden-hulled vessel on the seas, it had carried immigrants (some alarmed at the furious pace for which Captain ‘Bully’ Forbes had been renowned for sailing, even in a storm) and cargo (including 24 rabbits that soon multiplied and plagued Victorian farms.)

The Lightning, loaded with wool, had caught fire while anchored off Yarra Pier and had been scuttled out in Corio Bay. It was soon deemed a shipping hazard. A plan was put in place.

Torpedoes packed with powder were fixed to the wreck, with wires for the explosives leading to a connecting platform on Yarra Pier. The crowd waited for hours on the wharves, along the beach and on the cliffs, anticipating a spectacular show of fireworks, exploding water, projectiles of maritime debris, and flying fish. The Mayor was there to do the honours. He connected the wires. The crowd heard a muffled thud and felt a tremor beneath their feet.

The sea let out a burp. The Sydney Morning Herald reported: ‘never was a greater disappointment experienced by the people of Geelong.’

Text: Maria Takolander.