Customer Reviews

The Wreck of the Barque Stefano Off the North West Cape of Australia in 1875

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This book was recommended to me by an Australian Government Minister to convince me that aboriginal people in 1875 needed to be rescued from their primitive conditions. It is funny how two people can read the same book and come to opposite conclusions. This is the story of two shipwrecked boys, rescued from certain death on two occasions by the aborigines who looked after them until they were able to find a ship to take them home to their families. Aboriginal technology may have been inferior, but their knowledge of how to survive without western technology was vastly superior to the European. More importantly, the compassion and assistance shown by the aborigines to these boys is what one would like to think civilization is all about. A fascinating story, with insights into tribal life at that time, and the aboriginal concept of land ownership.

There were only two survivors of the Stefano wreck, Miho Bacich and Ivan Jurich. I am Baccich's (Americanized spelling) great grandson -- so its hard to not be somewhat biased regarding this book. But being as objective as possible, it is a great story. Bacich and Jurich, after a terrific struggle, lay dying like wretched animals on a beachhead in the barren wilderness of the North West Cape. Their lives (only hours from death) were spared by the Aborigines. The Aborigines not only spared their lives, they nursed them back to health and more. The Wreck of the Barque Stefano is a compelling story of faith and survival. It is also a true story, and true stories are almost always better than fiction I think. The story begs the question, what would you do given a survival scenario? How far would you go to survive? What is really, truly in your heart toward your fellow man? Finally, is there really a superintending Providence that governs life and death/ and the afterlife? I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to philosophize and think.

The Wreck of the Barque Stefano Off the North West Cape of Australia in 1875