Captain George Gibb of the Loch Ard wrecked near Port Campbell 1.6.1878

George Gibb (1849–1878) was born in Perthshire, Scotland. Little is known about his early maritime career. He was appointed captain of the ship Loch Ard in January 1878, and married shortly before his departure for Melbourne in March.

The Loch Ard was an unlucky ship. In 1873, on her maiden voyage to Melbourne, she had been dismasted in strong winds off the coast of Ireland. She again set sail for Melbourne in January 1874, but was struck by a storm in the Indian Ocean. The foremast broke and came crashing to the deck, and the ship foundered in rough seas for days before arriving in Melbourne several weeks later.

Carrying a large cargo as well as 36 crew and 18 passengers, the Loch Ard approached Cape Otway early in the morning of 1 June 1878. Visibility was poor and, sailing too close to a shore obscured by coastal haze, the crew were unable to see the light at the cape. Gibb had little time to react as the ship was caught in the breakers and crashed on a reef running out of Mutton Bird Island.

In the last moments, Gibb was reported to have said to Miss Evaline Carmichael, one of only two survivors, 'If you are saved, Eva, let my dear wife know that I died like a sailor.' Gibb was posthumously praised for his calm and courage amid the terror and confusion that ensued.