There are a number of remarkable coincidences in connection with the loss of the unfortunate Cawarra steamer. The first has reference to the late Captain Chatfield who was in the port of Newcastle, in command of the Boomerang, at the time the Eleanor Lancaster was wrecked on the Oyster Bank. On that memorable occasion Captain Chatfield rendered signal assistance in rescuing from the wreck of the Lancaster several half-perished people. From that time until Thursday 13 July, one of the masts of the Eleanor Lancaster has remained standing to mark the fatal spot where she was wrecked. Singular to relate, that identical mast, which for so many years had withstood the fury of successive storms, and served as an excellent beacon to mariners, was washed away simultaneously with the loss of the Cawarra and the drowning of Captain Chatfield. The coincidence is certainly a striking one, and well worthy of placing on record.

Another coincidence has reference to the chief steward of the Cawarra, whose name is William Newland. Mr. Newland, was formerly chief steward of the Star of Australia, a vessel that left Newcastle some years ago and was never heard of afterward. She is supposed to have foundered at sea. At the time the Star of Australia sailed from Newcastle, Mr. Newland had a sore foot, and on that account did not go with his vessel. Strange to say, on Wednesday 11 July 1886, when the ill fated Cawarra left Sydney on her voyage to Rockhampton, this same man William Newland again had an injury to his foot, and on that account was prevented from proceeding to sea with his vessel, thereby again saving his life - for there can be but little doubt that had he gone he would have shared the same dreadful fate as the rest of the crew, except only one solitary man.

The wreck of the Cawarra had a connection with the well-known loss of the Dunbar in Sydney. The Dunbar was initially deployed as a troop ship in the Crimean War and did not become involved in the Australian trade until 1856. During the night of 20 August 1857, the ship was approaching the entrance to Port Jackson on its second trip. There were fifty-nine crew and sixty-three passengers on board under command of Captain Green. Approaching the Heads in a violent storm, the ship was driven against the cliffs of South Head and rapidly broke apart. Only one out of one hundred and twenty two survived. Able Seaman James Johnson managed to cling to the cliff face until rescued some almost two days later. Bodies and wreckage filled the harbour. James Johnson was eventually employed in Newcastle as the lighthouse keeper and on 12 July 1866, helped (as the coxswain) rescue the sole survivor, Frederick Hedges, from the Cawarra disaster at Newcastle.

Newcastle, situated at the entrance to the Hunter River 170 km north of Sydney, developed as a major port due to the discovery of coal in 1797. The entrance to Port Hunter was not altogether sympathetic to shipping, and over two hundred vessels have been lost entering or leaving the port, many on the infamous Oyster Bank - a place almost as famous for calamities as the Goodwin Sands. The "great gale" of 12 July 1866 claimed more than just the Cawarra. In the Newcastle area alone the following was reported.

The schooner Mary and Rose, from Warrnambool, to Brisbane with a cargo of potatoes, was wrecked north of Port Stephens, and out of a crew of seven, only the Captain and one seaman escaped alive.

The 384-ton barque, William Watson, which was built in Scotland and had a length of 117.6 feet, found it impossible to enter the Port Hunter during the "great gale" on 12 July 1866. She was swept over the Oyster Bank and onto the North Beach and she became a total wreck. The carpenter and steward lost their lives but all others reached safety along a line swum out to the stricken vessel by one Harold Holt.

Two vessels were seen coming up the coast, and in spite of signals to keep off, both made for the harbour. Many had collected on Nobby’s and watched with intense anxiety for the result. The first was a small wooden ketch, the 39-ton Arthur, which was built in NSW and had a length of 55.8 feet. She foundered when attempting to enter the channel into Newcastle at about half past twelve during the "great gale" of 12 July 1866. She was unable to make headway into the harbour against the strong ebb tide. Two or three heavy seas appeared to strike her, and she capsized. Three or four men were seen clinging to her – another breaker washed over her, and she disappeared with all hands - with the loss of five lives.

The 88 ton schooner Lismore followed the ketch closely and half an hour afterwards she was in the position in which the ketch went down, and finding it impossible to enter the channel, she ran for the beach, struck on the outer edge of the Oyster Bank, and was eventually forced on the beach a short distance from the William Watson. A rope was got onboard her by means of Manby’s patent apparatus, and all the crew (eight in number) were rescued by the rocket and line team. The NSW built Lismore had a length of 74 feet and had 130 tons of coal on board.

Two crewmen from the barque, Keder, were drowned when their boat capsized in an attempt to retrieve a cask of spirits that came away from the foundered Cawarra.

A vessel foundered, claiming five lives, during Thursday night or early Friday morning off Newcastle lighthouse, causing a quantity of timber to float into Port Hunter on Friday morning. The wreckage was since found to have belonged to the Seagull, from Richmond River. A name-board tossed up on a beach was the only identification as to who had been lost. The 64-ton Seagull, which was built in NSW, had a length of 73.8 feet.

The a timber laden 76 ton wooden schooner, Roderick Dhu, which was built in NSW with a length of 77 feet was lost at four o’clock on Friday morning, 13 July 1866, 14 nm south of Port Stephens at Stockton Bight. All hands were saved.

Up to a late hour on Friday night, 13 July 1866, none of the bodies had been washed ashore. On Saturday afternoon, the following day, the first bodies came ashore. Since then nearly thirty corpses were picked up at various points, the majority having been washed onto the beach on the North Shore. Under the superintendence of Mr. Inspector Harris, as many bodies as possible were brought over from the North Shore on Sunday and placed in the hospital. As soon as it was known that the bodies were being cast on shore, a number of shells were ordered to be made, and the first five or six bodies that were brought to the hospital were at once placed in the coffins prepared for them. On Monday night eight or ten more were taken to the hospital but owing to no shells being in readiness they were laid upon the straw in the large room on the ground floor of the new hospital. The scene in the hospital at this time, as one by one the corpses were brought in naked, and laid side by side upon the straw, was awful in the extreme. Several of the bodies were much bruised and mutilated, and all of them were without covering, except shoes and stockings, and in one instance a pair of trousers.

The following is the list of bodies that had been identified up to six o'clock on Tuesday night, making 37 in all: Sophia Matilda Cramp, a lady passenger. Her body was sent to Sydney per the Morpeth steamer. Joseph Abrahams, assistant fore-cabin steward. His body was taken to Sydney. Catherine Crozier, stewardess. Her body was also taken to Sydney. Captain Chatfield. Mr. McDowell, chief officer. Mr. John Auchinclose, second engineer. Mr. Fountain, chief engineer. Mr. Kay, carpenter. A sailor, name unknown. Sandy, a fireman. Joe the Duchman, alias Lavender Bill, quarter master. A Chinaman named Ah Fool. A nephew of Mrs. Cramp's, aged five years. Alexander Livingstone, fireman, identified by his wife. William Manton, lamp-trimmer, identified by his mother and sister. James Leonard, fireman, identified by a fireman of the steamer, Susannah Cuthbert. Miss Anderson, cabin passenger on board the Cawarra. John Hyde of the barque William Watson and Alexander Brash, passenger on board the Cawarra.

On 13 July an inquest, with a full jury of twelve men, was commenced at Newcastle by the coroner, Mr Knaggs, on the bodies cast ashore. The evidence of three witnesses was taken, chiefly for the identification of the bodies, and the inquest was then adjourned until the following day at three o’clock, and was then resumed and continued daily until Wednesday. In the course of the investigations the management of the lifeboat and the conduct of those by whom it was manned appeared in a very unfavourable light, and to the verdict returned of "Found drowned or died from exhaustion" was attached the following rider – "and the jury recommend from the tenor of the evidence laid before them that a strict inquiry be instituted by the Government into the present very unsatisfactory arrangements of the lifeboat - its present position and inefficient management – with a view of ensuring a double crew and quick despatch of the life boat when required for the purpose of saving life."