Dea Opre and Selim

Luggers in the northwest navigated creeks to escape bad weather, seek safe harbour, access freshwater wells and make repairs to boats and gear. Mooring in the creeks had its own risks from the strong northwest tides and unexpected weather changes.

Luggers could be stranded or washed further into/out of the creek. It was crucial to tie up where the tide could assist a lugger out of the creek, but to stay safely moored while tides were running into it. Since mooring in a creek meant waiting for a suitable tide to help them leave, it was common for some crew to dry shell while the boat was moored.

In November 1923 two luggers tied up to the mangroves in Condon Creek. They were Laura, also known as Lugger No. 189 belonging to Joseph Knowles and Lugger No. 127 belonging to John and Harry McNee. They were part of a larger fleet working the shell grounds north of DeGrey. The crews got fresh water from the well, and the Japanese divers rested. The Koepanger crews added to the shell counts by dry shelling.

On the evening of 24 November Dea Opre of Lugger No. 189 and Selim of No. 127 set out to go dry shelling. Other than indenture papers, not much was recorded for Koepanger crew members, other than their names.

Dry shelling involved collecting shell from the sand at low tide, and in the shallows where a crew member could wade. Sometimes a dinghy was used to carry shell and deliver it the lugger.

The next morning, half of Selim’s body was found on the beach. The body was bitten in half. The remains indicated the other half had been taken by a shark. There was no sign of Dea Opre and his body was never found.

It was the practice to bury crew members where they were in dry sand above the water line. Selim’s remains would have been buried at Condon Creek. Joseph Knowles reported the deaths to Inspector Spedding-Smith at Broome and the luggers moved on without their missing crew members.