The Midas was a three-masted wooden sailing barque that weighed 555 tons, 44 meters long and was likely built in Farmingdale in the United States of America by Duncan in 1865 (reference; reference; reference). However, the ship's origins are unclear, as there is also another barque by the same name, which features in Canadian historical documents (reference). The ship's other possible date and make were in 1847 at Prince Edward Island (reference).
In 1870, Charles Clark, the ship chandler of Port Chalmers in New Zealand, purchased the ship (reference). The vessel had acquired New Zealand features, including a deck of New Zealand kauri, which was likely installed to replace a worn or damaged deck (reference).
By 1872 it was carrying timber for Conner and McKay of Dunedin, New Zealand, who used the ship for intercolonial trade (reference; reference; reference). They had John Cumming command the ship from Dunedin to Bunbury, a trip of 98 days, where it arrived on 3 February 1872 (reference). After arriving at Bunbury, the barque travelled to Lockeville, Geographe Bay, to pick up the WA Timber Company's jarrah cargo (reference). Once finished, it returned to Bunbury to collect the remaining cargo (reference). The load on the Midas was timber, including 100 piles of cut jarrah timber and sleepers (reference; reference). The wood was intended to construct a large jetty at Dunedin back in New Zealand to help the timber trade between colonies (reference).
On 10 March 1872, Bunbury was struck by a sudden storm described as a cyclone (reference; reference). The Midas' crew dropped a second anchor. However, it was insufficient to hold the vessel in the storm, resulting in it being dragged to shallow waters where it was further damaged and began filling with water, resulting in its wreckage (reference; reference).
An inquiry following the wreck found that Captain Cumming was not responsible for the wreckage (reference).
The wreck of the Midas and its cargo were sold at auction by auctioneer James Moore for £255, but they could not recover the load as the deck was still intact (reference; reference; reference).
The Midas was obstructing the harbour and had to be moved by the government (reference). Some cargo also became hazardous in the port, such as floating jarrah piles (reference). The government called for tenders, and W F Stevens for £487 was accepted (reference). He used explosives to break the wreck open and recovered 200 sleepers, 27 piles and a series of metal objects (reference).
By 1875 most of the Midas was no longer visible in the sea (reference). However, it was still a danger to other ships. In 1887 the Cingalee scraped over an existing wreck which was likely the Midas (reference).
There was also a court case at the Supreme Court regarding the Midas in 1875 (reference; reference). The case had to do with selling the wreckage and the recovery of the cargo (reference).
Some of the timber salvaged from the Midas lived on in other vessels, such as when James Dalgety Gibbs built a boat with the kauri deck (reference).