Water Lily

“Alligator Joe” arrived in Cossack when the anchorage was busy with luggers, coastal tramps, traders and lighters, and the town was bursting with every kind of fisher and worker from many different parts of the world. No one knew where he came from, although most had heard tales of his travels and adventures.

Joseph Green was born on 12 December 1853 in Tasmania to parents John Green and Jane McCurdy. He arrived at Cossack in a large whaleboat with its single mast rigged like a cutter. He called her Water Lily. He quickly established a passenger trade, bringing in passengers from the steamboats that had to anchor five miles away from the Cossack Creek landing. The steamboats had to remain where the low tides did not strand them. Joe also carried fresh water, firewood and provisions to the people populating the nearby islands.

Joe was accompanied by two young deck hands: Ritchie Mass aged 23- and 22-year-old Ah Mat who he met in Cossack.

Joe was an ex-whaler off the American and Australian coasts. He had been a revolutionary in South America. He had trapped alligators in Africa and crocodiles in the northwest of West Australia. A witness claimed the largest crocodile Joe had trapped in Wyndham was 17 feet and 4 inches long.

Joe never wore shoes. He had many tattoos on his body and limbs. He had a scar on his chest where a bullet grazed him, and another on his cheek from a sabre. He also had severe scarring on one leg from an alligator attack. His body confirmed the veracity of Joe’s stories which were popular with passengers, tourists and locals alike. He was liked for the kindnesses he showed to isolated island dwellers, whether they were there by their own desire or by command of a master.

On 9 January 1894 Joe left Cossack to take provisions to some Chinese men who were camped on Small Island. His was not the only boat in the area. There were pearl boats in the area around the passage. They were caught out by the approaching cyclone.

On 10 January the boats realised the barometer glass was dropping; they headed into the shelter of Flying Foam Passage. Joe tied Water Lily astern of Anne, under the command of Zakarias Erikson (see the story of Anne’s crew). He sent his two crew over to the Anne thinking they would be safer on board the bigger vessel. Anne towed Water Lily into the passage and anchored. The boats in the passage weighed all their anchors. Most had three. They intended to ride out the storm.

Around midnight the water in the passage became turbulent. Waves rolled large enough to capsize the boats. Water Lily foundered around midnight. She was not a big boat and could not withstand the increasingly fierce wind and seas. Joe went down with his boat and drowned.

Sadly, the Anne capsized and sank a few hours later and both of joe's crew drowned.

All three bodies were found floating in Black Hawke Bay two days after the cyclone. They were buried with respect in Cossack Cemetery. He was 41 years old. The stories of Joe’s adventures were told for a long time after he was gone.