Bernie Kavanagh, a coach builder, built Austral Vertue [the first in Australia] and launched her in January 1958 at Hobson’s Bay Yacht Club, Melbourne. After sailing around the bay for a few years Bernie’s poor health meant he had to sell his masterpiece.  The second owner Noel Waters looked after her admirably until he in turn sold her to Michael (Mick/Mike) McKeon in January 1966. Up until this time Austral Vertue had not left Port Philip Bay to the oceans she was designed and built for.

This was to change and in Mike’s hand she was to undertake many cruises and voyages including the first voyage offshore to Tasmania with 2 mates. She is pictured as she departs Hobson’s Bay setting off for Opua, Bay of Islands, NZ across the Tasman Sea after putting into Sydney.
After some winter cruising Mike settled in Whangarei for a while working as an electrician in Whangarei then for a boat builder back in Opua, making many new friends.

Friends, Margaret and Ron Sharp asked him to navigate their 36’ ketch Wayfarer to Noumea, New Caledonia, returning via Norfolk Island. On return Mike set off for Fiji and beyond; Austral Vertue clocked up 140 miles in the first twenty four hours and the cruise encompassed Fiji, and some of the surrounding islands before heading north to the Tuvalu [Ellice Islands] and thereafter further north to the Kiribati [Gilbert Islands] including Nonouti, Tarawa, Abaiang, and Abemama.

Around the 29th of March 1972 Mike left Abemama intending for Funafuti [Tuvalu], Fiji and on to New Zealand, however this voyage ended prematurely when on the night of April 5/6^th while Mike was ashore on the island of Vaitupu [Tuvalu] Austral Vertue dragged her anchor and drifted out to sea. Despite his best efforts to spread the word to shipping and flights in the area she was deemed lost. This of course was devastating for Mike who we respectfully thank for providing us with the information from his memoir ‘Austral Vertue and her voyages’.