August
10 Matthew Flinders sets sail for England as a passenger in the Porpoise, with the ship accompanied by the East India Company's Bridgewater and the Cato, both bound for Batavia. It was intended to go through Torres Strait, so Flinders would have a second chance to ascertain whether that Strait can or cannot become a safe general passage for ships from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean.
17 At half-past nine at night the look-out on the forecastle of the Porpoise sighted breakers ahead, and although the master, who was on watch, ordered the helm to be put down, the ship answered slowly, and struck a reef north-east of Hervey Bay. An attempt was made to fire a gun to warn the Cato and the Bridgewater, but before any warning could be given the Cato dashed upon the reef. The Bridgewater cleared the reef and Flinders attempted to row to the her to make arrangements to co-ordinate a rescue but it it was impossible to reach her.
18 At dawn, Flinders was back on board the Porpoise. Daylight revealed a dry sandbank above high-water mark, large enough to hold the shipwecked crews and passengers and whatever they could retrieve from the two wrecks. Aboard the Bridgewater her captain could have brought her to anchor in one of the openings in the reef, and taken the survivors aboard but paid no heed to distress signals, sailed around the reef, stood off and made for Batavia, where he reported the wreck but claimed it would have been too late to render assistance.
On the reef there were 94 men with food for three months, and once the stores were landed and tents made from the sails a council of officers resolved that Flinders should take the largest of the Porpoise's two cutters, with an officer and crew, and make his way to Port Jackson. Flinders gave directions for two decked boats should be built by the carpenters from wreckage in case his attempt to reach Sydney was unsuccessful.
26 The cutter was launched and Flinders set off with Captain Park of the Cato as his assistant officer, fourteen oarsmen and three weeks' provisions.
September
8 Flinders arrives in Sydney with news of the wreck of the Porpoise.
Captain Cumming of the Rolla, a China-bound merchant ship, agreed to call at the reef, take some of the survivors, and deliver them to Canton. The Francis would to sail in company and bring the remainder to Sydney. Flinders would take command of the Cumberland, a 29-ton schooner, and sail to England with his charts and papers.
21 The Cumberland, Rolla and Francis sailed out of Port Jackson.
October
7 Exactly six weeks after Flinders had left Wreck Reef, he returned.
11 The three ships departed from Wreck Reef at noon. The Rolla reached China safely and the Francis returned to Sydney with the majority of the survivors.
November
10 The Cumberland reached Kupang in Timor.