Of Tragedy and Valor
Brian Bolger

Brian Bolger
1924 - 1963
Descendants of Mahalia Bolger (Weymouth)

Brian Bolger was born at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne on November 13th 1924.  He was the son of Glynda Helen Bolger, and great-grandson of Mahalia Bolger (formerly Weymouth nee Rumbelow).

Brian joined the Australian Army on 27th November 1942. He was was attached to 11 Small Ships Company when discharged on 8th July 1945.

WW2 Nominal Roll 

• Service - Australian Army, Service No. VX120208, 

• Birthdate 11/11/1923, Birthplace Carlton Vic, 

• Date of Enlistment 27/11/1942, 

• Locality on Enlistment Port Albert Vic, 

• Place of Enlistment Watsonia Vic, NOK Lewis, D, 

• Date of Discharge 8/7/1945, 

• Rank Private, 

• Posting at Discharge 11 Small Ships Company.

Neil Avery remembers Brian living with his family when Neil was a small child and Brian was working as a fisherman on Neil’s father’s boat, “Seafarer”.   In the late 1940s Brian returned to South Australia.

Brian married Jean Isobel Fergusson in 1947 in Goolwa.  Brian & Jean had two daughters, Helen & Dianne and Brian also adopted Jean’s daughter, Irene (Toni) from a previous relationship.

In 1946-47 when Brian's grandfather Leonard retired to Goolwa, Brian took over a shark boat at Port Albert, Victoria and resumed longline shark fishing with Neil’s father, Dick Avery,  on “Seafarer”.  When Neil’s father retired in the mid 1950s Brian took over as Skipper of “Seafarer”.

In February 1963 the boat was dry docked for repairs and Brian went fishing in Dick Avery’s boat the Seafarer. In heavy seas coming into the entrance to the port some 3 to 4 miles out at sea the rudder pintles broke and the boat overturned in the heavy surf. 

The Seafarer was found stranded aground in the surf west of the Port Albert Entrance.

He drowned aged 38 years with two others whilst crossing the Sandbar at Port Albert.  it is believed that Brian was below deck and at the helm was one of his inexperienced crew who was not familiar with the entrance.

One Fishermans Body Recovered

•  The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) 

•  Thu 7 Feb 1963 

MELBOURNE, Wednesday. - The body of one of the three fishermen lost in the 45ft. fishing boat Seafarer at Port Albert yesterday was recovered this afternoon. The body of Raymond Black, 39, of Haldane Street, Carrum, was sighted from the air early today.

Searchers will look again tomorrow for the other two crew members, Brian Bolger, 38, of Port Albert, and Timothy Hardy, 35, of Bay Street, Port Melbourne.