Young Wader Fatally Bitten in Sydney Harbor

A 12-year-old boy attacked in shallow water (four feet) in Sydney Harbour, with the case exceptionally well-documented across multiple contemporary newspapers, Coppleson's foundational shark-attack studies, and confirmed by a headstone inscription — making it an archivally significant early case in one of Australia's most-studied shark-incident regions.

On the morning of January 9, 1919, Richard Simpson, a 13-year-old boy, entered the water at Sirius Cove in Mosman, Sydney Harbor, for what would be a brief and tragic swim. The weather was overcast and rainy, with water temperatures around 73°F. Simpson had been in the water only a few minutes, wading in approximately 2-4 feet of water, when he was suddenly attacked by a large shark estimated at 12 feet in length. A local fisherman, Mr. T. Holder, was nearby arranging his nets about 20 yards away when he heard the boy's screams. Holder witnessed the shark thrashing in the water where Simpson had been swimming before the boy disappeared beneath the surface. Responding immediately, Holder rowed to the location, causing the shark to flee. Simpson surfaced almost immediately, and with assistance from a soldier nearby, was lifted into the boat and brought ashore. The attack inflicted catastrophic injuries. The shark had bitten deeply into the fleshy part of the boy's right thigh, creating a wound approximately 12 inches long and 6-7 inches wide. The force of the bite exposed the femur bone and severed the femoral artery. Medical examination by Dr. Doak revealed the wound appeared as though made by a spokeshave, with additional abrasions on the medial side of the left thigh. Despite receiving immediate medical attention upon reaching shore, Simpson died shortly after arrival. The shark species was never definitively identified. A headstone located at Gore Hill Cemetery, St. Leonard's, records the victim as "Dick Simpson, age 12 years and 10 months, killed by a shark." This incident remains one of the early documented fatal shark attacks in Australian waters and illustrates the dangers that Sydney Harbor swimmers faced during this period.