Masthead Island is a coral cay located in the southern Great Barrier Reef, 60 kilometres northeast of Gladstone, Queensland.

The cay covers an area of 0.45 square kilometres (0.17 sq mi) and is surrounded by a coral reef that is partially exposed at low-tide.

[3] The Capricorn and Bunker Cays form part of a distinct geomorphic province at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.

The sea level was much lower during the last Ice Age (at the end of the Pleistocene period) and the coastal plain on which today's reefs and cays developed was completely exposed.

The coral reef around the cay is a habitat for a vast array of marine life, the most common including angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, sweetlips, batfish, sting rays, bronze whalers, sea snakes and stonefish.

Weed control programs have been implemented to eradicate introduced plants with a significant reduction of Opuntia on Masthead Island.

Captain Smith, by the Diamantina, on Thursday, brought intelligence of the total loss of the Pioneer, schooner, which left the port with a cargo of sawn timber for Rockhampton on the 10th instant.

The Pioneer, schooner, 87 tons, Thomas Richie, master, bound from Maryborough to Rockhampton, left the Fairway Buoy, Harvey’s Bay, at 10 a.m. on Saturday last, the 10th instant she passed the Sloping Hummock at 3 p.m., bearing south-west, and distant 13 km; the vessel steered N.W.

until opposite Bustard Head, and then altered her course half a point westward, the wind, at the time, blowing hard from S.S.E., and a heavy sea, running.

Before she could be brought to fore reach she struck upon a reef running out from Mast Head Island, bearing cast 39 km from Cape Capricorn.

She was bound to Sydney, via Brisbane, from Port Denison, and had on board a quantity of wool, tallow, and hides, besides the following passengers : Mr. and Mrs. Newell, two sons and two daughters ; also, J.

The shipwrecked people walked along the reef a considerable distance, a mile or a mile and a half, to a point where the larger boat could with safety come alongside to take them in to proceed to Masthead Island, There were fourteen persons in all, namely, the captain (Malcolm Ross Brown), the mate, five men, Mr. Newell, his wife, two sons and two daughters, and a Captain Butcher.

Some of the crew had arrived in Gladstone in the boats before Captain Cottor reached that port, while the remainder were left on the island in charge of the wreck.

The wreck has been sold for £25 to Captain Patching, of the Prince Patrick, schooner, and when the Clarence sailed he was making preparations to proceed to the scene of the mishap.

Mr. Ehrenfried, part owner and passenger on board the above-named ship, arrived yesterday by the Boomerang, from Queensland, and that gentleman has furnished the following particulars:-The Cosmopolite, from Sydney, bound to Gladstone for cattle, went ashore on Masthead Reef at 1 a.m. on the 15th instant, and became a total wreck.

A course was set to steer her ashore when the wind dropped leaving her helpless to drift onto the reef where rising seas soon destroyed her no lives lost carrying ballast shallow site.

At 8am, Thursday, 9th, sighted Mast Head Island, hearing N N W , apparently about 8.0 km off, but the weather was so thick and hazy it was impossible to obtain the correct distance At 9:45 am tacked ship, when a heavy squall from the south stuck her, all the light sails were taken in, and the bearings of the island showed to McNeil that he would not be able to weather Mast Head Reef, so was compelled to make for the channel (which is about 3.2 km in width) between the island and the reef Had the breeze held on he would have been able to carry through with safety, as there was deep water within a short distance of the reef all the way, but suddenly the wind fell light, and a strong current kept the vessel sagging on to the reef, the tide being nearly at its full The lead was immediately hove, and four fathoms of water were found At 11 30 a m felt her grate lightly , hove the lead again, and found only nine feet, the ship at the time drawing eight feet four inches A broken sea was all around, but no signs of breakers, and the reef being hidden on account of the tide being full.

Directly she grated, tried to wear her off, but she lost steerage way, and would not answer her helm The tide then began to fall, and the boat was launched and a kedge run out, ballast was trimmed, and every endeavour was mado to heave the schooner off the reef At 1 pm she listed over, and bumped heavily against the reef, and in less than 10 minutes drove in her starboard bilge, she struck about a ship's length from where the lead was first hove and 8 fathoms found Captain NcNeil finding she would go to pieces, resolved to try and save everything he could, but, at 5 30 p m finding about four feet of water in the hold and the weather looking very dirty with the barometer falling, he thought prudent at once to take his crew to the island, distant about 3.2 km N N E , as much provisions and fresh water as were deemed necessary were put into the boat On Friday 10th, they made a trip to the ship and went on board, and found her full of water and on her beam ends A further stock of provisions and water were secured, together with what ever loose articles were lying about, and they again steered for the island The next day, Saturday the 11th, they visited the wreck but found that she had gone down forward, with the water completely over her forecastle, and finding it unsafe, they returned to their camp where they remanded until Thursday morning the 16th, when the captain and his crew, in all seven started from the island intending to make Gladstone, but there was such a tremendous sea on that he was compelled to stand off for Cape Capricorn, distant about sixty miles, which was made in five hours After making the Cape the sea became calmer, and they made a comparatively easy run to Rockhampton where they arrived on Friday the 17th The vessel was the property of Misers MacKinlay Brothers, of Sydney, and is about 15 years old, and the heavy cargo of machinery she brought to Rockhampton it is supposed must have attained her considerably, the pumps being continually at work.

Captain Norris, who went down in charge of the boat, unbent the sails, so that the position of the vessel might as much as possible remain unaltered; he left the yards and masts standing.

[25] and 6 months later it was reported as The Rose, schooner, has returned from the wreck of the Jane Lockhart, on Masthead Reef, whither she went on June 15 Captain Dwyer informs us that the Jane Lockhart still lies in a very snug position, and he has no doubt but that himself, and Mr Norris, the purchaser of the wreck, will be able, ultimately, to raise the vessel and bring her safely to Rockhampton Nearly the whole of the period that they were at the reef, very heavy weather prevailed, staving operations towards the recovery of the cargo, but luckily the strong SE winds lulled for about three days Captain Dwyer availed himself of the occasion, set to work, rigged up a staging between the masts of the Lockhart, schooner, and by means of a rope and a South Sea Island diver, managed to bring up from eighty to ninety large iron pulley wheels, besides a quantity of machinery and sundries, comprising Ale, porter, liqueur brandy, cutlery, ironmongery, etc Unfortunately the Roses water ran out, much to the chagrin of the crew, who would have raised a great deal more, only having to run into port for supplies [26]