Tryal Rocks
Tryal Rocks, sometimes spelled Trial Rocks or Tryall Rocks, formerly known as Ritchie's Reef or the Greyhound's Shoal, is a reef of rock located in the Indian Ocean off the northwest coast of Australia, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northwest of the outer edge of the Montebello Islands group. It is named for the Tryall, the first known shipwreck in Australian waters, which sunk after striking the then-uncharted rocks in 1622. Described as "the theme and dread of every voyager to the eastern islands", their location was sought for over three centuries before finally being determined in 1969.
Tryal Rocks are located at 20°16′S 115°23′E / 20.267°S 115.383°E. They are 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northwest of the Montebello Islands, 105 kilometres (65 mi) off the Australian mainland and part of the state of Western Australia.
The rocks and the immediate locale are described as: "two coral reefs, close together, about 1.25 miles (2.01 km) in length NE-SW; the S reef dries 2.7m. The rocks are located about 9 miles (14 km) NW of Montebello Islands. Depths of less than 20m lie within 6 miles (9.7 km) SW and 4 miles (6.4 km) NW of Tryal Rocks; the sea breaks on these shallower depths in bad weather. A 5.5m patch lies 3 miles (4.8 km) W of North West Island Light. The channel between Tryal Rocks and Montebello Islands is 7 miles (11 km) wide, with depths of 31 to 40m, and may be used by vessels proceeding to the E side of Barrow Island."
The Tryall was only the second English ship to attempt to sail from the Cape of Good Hope to Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) along the Brouwer Route, a route pioneered by the Dutch and used routinely by them since 1616. The Brouwer Route drastically shortened voyage times by keeping ships sailing eastwards in the Roaring Forties for as long as possible before turning north. The captain of the Tryall, John Brookes, grossly underestimated the longitude of the ship, and ended up around 1000 kilometres (600 mi) farther east than the route specified. On turning north, the Tryall found itself skirting the west coast of Australia. Around 11pm on 25 May 1622, it struck the Tryal Rocks and sank. 46 of 139 lives were saved, including Brookes'.
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