Fatal shark attack on sailor in Hobson's Bay, Victoria

Exceptionally well-documented 19th-century case with multiple contemporary newspaper sources, a formal coroner's inquest, detailed witness accounts of a sustained multiple-bite attack, and a victim who fought to reach the rescue boat only to be bitten a second time — providing rare archival depth for an 1858 incident.

On the afternoon of Sunday, March 14, 1858, a tragic incident occurred in Hobson's Bay, Victoria, when Adolph Bollander, a 22-year-old sailor aboard the Swedish ship Constance, was attacked by a large shark while bathing with fellow crew members alongside the vessel. Bollander and several other sailors had entered the water for a swim when a shark suddenly attacked him, severing flesh from his thigh. A loud cry alerted those nearby to the emergency. Despite the shark's initial assault, Bollander, described as a strong swimmer, managed to reach a rescue boat. However, as crew members were pulling him from the water, the shark struck again, biting flesh from his calf before being beaten away with boat-hooks and paddles. The injured sailor was immediately conveyed toward Williamstown for medical treatment, but the significant blood loss during the journey proved fatal. Bollander died en route to Bee's Steam Packet Hotel, never reaching definitive medical care. A coroner's inquest held the following day confirmed the cause of death as injuries inflicted by the shark bite. Contemporary accounts noted that the same shark may have been responsible for the earlier death of a large Newfoundland dog that had fallen overboard from a lighter weeks prior. The incident prompted calls for improved maritime safety measures, including the establishment of a floating hospital in the bay, as the distance to shore proved critical in this case.