I was recently contacted by a retired police officer regarding my article “The Big Green Wave – Sea Dreamer Tragedy”, which was published in the Clarence Valley Independent on 14 January 2026.

​

Sergeant Ron Bloxham was stationed at Yamba when the Sea Dreamer sank and my article brought back memories for him of another drowning at the Yamba Bar on 02 June 1977, which he shared with me.

​

On 20 May 1977 Roger Stephen Wand set sail from Sydney in his sloop Adinda with the intention of exploring the Great Barrier Reef and seeking further employment. On 02 June he arrived at the entrance to the Clarence River at Yamba and was observed by several persons sailing up and down until late in the afternoon.

​

At 4.45 pm, he lowered the mainsail and under the power of his 6 hp Evinrude outboard motor, he headed the sloop towards the entrance of the Clarence River. Sea conditions prevailing at the time were moderate. As the sloop approached the Bar area, it had lined up with the ‘leads’, which are plainly visible down the river. This caused the boat to travel across almost the centre of the bar where waves sometimes ‘cap’, especially on the ebb tide. Nevertheless, he persevered and suddenly found himself in a perilous position.

​

Yamba fisherman Robert Toyer saw the sloop capsize while watching from the hill at Flinders Park. He alerted other fishermen with their trawlers tied up at Yamba Marina and Des Bailey in the Evans River was the first to arrive on the scene of the mishap. By that time the sloop had popped back up to the surface and righted itself.

​

Another witness who had been watching the incident through binoculars said he plainly saw a person swimming away from the sloop in the direction of the breakwater after it had been hit by the wave.

​

Crewman of the Evans River, Tom Bushel, boarded the stricken craft. Apparently, the bow anchor had dislodged from its position on the deck and gone to the bottom, effectively mooring it in position. He found no one on board and it was towed into the marina.

Police were now placed with the problem of the missing sailor, with the added possibility that further unknown persons may have been washed overboard. Sydney Water Police verified that the sloop Adinda was owned and skippered by Roger Stephen Wand and that he had sailed from Sydney about two weeks before the incident. Further, that he had no known relatives in Australia. A British Passport and License in Wand’s name were located.

​

As a result of an appeal by Police concerning the matter, Mr Keleher of Lake Cathie contacted Sergeant Bloxham and stated that Wand was at Laurieton on 27 May 1977 by himself. On 03 June, Bloxham was phoned by Mr. Yeomans of Woolloomooloo, Sydney, who advised he had known Wand for some six years and said he could assist with identification if necessary. He knew Wand’s family lived in Sheerness, Kent, England and police in Kent then informed the parents that he was lost at sea, presumed drowned.

​

Local beaches, headlands and rocks were searched, until, after some six days, Senior Constable Beaumont of the Harwood Island Police Station recovered the body of a male person on the beach at Iluka on the northern side of the Clarence River. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition, bloated and badly discoloured, and as such ‘positive’ identification could not be established from facial observation.

A water sodden receipt in the name R. Wand issued by Elizabeth Bay Marine Centre for mooring fees was located in a shirt pocket. He was wearing a Coronet diving watch which had stopped at 9.45 on 03 June 1977.

​

The body was taken to Maclean District Hospital Mortuary where it was completely X-rayed for any ‘old’ fractures or any other features that could assist with identification. Police at this point were satisfied that the body was that of Roger Stephen Wand but still ’positive’ identification had to be established for the Coroner, Gary Hall of Maclean.

​

When contacted again, Yeoman confirmed that Wand wore a Coronet divers watch similar to the one found. He also suggested that dental charts for Wand might be found as he was once employed as a gardener for the Sydney City Council. Mr Ratcliff, staff dentist at Sydney Town Hall, was contacted. He directed police to the deceased’s private dentist, Mr Regan of South Coogee, who stated he had carried out a ‘large gold filling on the left 6 M.O.D’ which was quite pronounced and could be easily identified. He was able to supply a mouth X-ray from his records.

​

At 2pm on 09 June 1977 the Coroner, Detective Senior Constable Carl Cameron of the Scientific Investigation Section at Grafton Police and Wayne Hinchcliffe, a local Dental Surgeon of Maclean District Hospital, conducted an examination of the deceased at the hospital Mortuary under the most unpleasant conditions. Fingerprints were taken. Hinchcliffe prized open the mouth of the deceased and carried out a dental examination. He found a ‘large gold inlay filling on the upper left 6 M.O.D’. which he positively identified as identical with the X-ray supplied by Regan.

​

The Coroner was completely satisfied with the effort and accepted the means of identification.

Wand’s mother was contacted and the body cremated.

 

John McNamara

Research Officer

Port of Yamba Historical Society

​

​