The Tayleur was wrecked when only two days out of Liverpool, with the loss of some 380 lives. The London foundered when only three days out of Plymouth, taking with her 244 lives. The Royal Charter, on her return journey with successful gold prospectors, was only two days from her Liverpool home when she foundered off Wales with the loss of some 427 lives. 
Many emigrants endured the months-long voyages across icy seas, only to fall victim to the sea when within sight of a new homeland. The Dunbar came to grief within just miles of the safety of Port Jackson. The loss of the Cataraqui at the entrance to Bass Strait in 1845 remains as Australia's greatest civil disaster, although some legitimate claim could be made ten years later when the emigrant ship Guiding Star failed to arrive from England, with the loss of 546 lives; all potential new Australians.
The voyages of ships ploughing through seas of the Great Circle Route between the British Isles and these distant colonies have been linked with migration, the gold rush, the growth of mercantile commerce and industry, and the evolution of ships and shipping. 

This book will no doubt be read with a touch of sadness, and yet with some measure of pride, reminding us that the spirit of adventure and a new life challenged and defeated the grim obstacles of travel to the far reaches of the world, sometimes at a terrible cost.

Jack Loney completed this manuscript in 1994 not long prior to his death. It has been edited and extensively added to by Jack's friend and collaborator on previous books, Peter Stone.  The Australia Run completes the six volume Australian Shipwrecks, commenced in 1972 by Charles Bateson, and continued by Jack Loney in 1980 with Australian Shipwrecks Volume Two, then Three, Four and Five. The latter two volumes are still available. See Maritime History section.

Jack Loney commenced research for this volume six many decades ago. Whereas the previous five volumes include only those ships wrecks on the Australian coastline, Volume Six -The Australia Run completes the set by including those ships lost in the run between Great Britain and Australia, a most significant route as it determined the destiny of the developing colony. Because this volume also includes ships on the Australian Run that were wrecked in Australian waters, there is some duplication with the previous five volumes in terms of ships named, but the material presented is new.

As a foreword to this edition, Jack wrote in 1994:
It is difficult to gauge public interest in a book of this type and for this reason I shall welcome correspondence drawing my attention to errors and suggesting other areas of research that a further volume could possibly be produced at a later date to include incidents involving vessels trading from Australia and New Zealand to other foreign countries, re the French Bounty Clippers, and also war casualties.
One of the major problems confronting me was the choice of what to include and what to omit. Material for a book of this type is almost limitless, probably sufficient for several volumes but had to be curtailed by sheer economic necessity.
The search for photographs and illustrations has been an interesting endeavour; my only regret being their limitation, also for reasons of space.

Sadly, this is the last of Jack Loney's publications which number well over one hundred. As Jack took over the Australian shipwreck volume publication on the death of Charles Bateson, so perhaps will another author continue the work of Jack Loney. Peter Stone, who received in 1998 the Victorian State Government's Jack Loney Memorial Award for his contribution to maritime education, has taken on the task to edit and contribute to Jack's original manuscript, at the request of Jack's family who continue to run Maitime History Publications. As this may be well be the apprentice checking the master's work, Peter  has previously collaborated with Jack on previous publications (Australia's Island Shipwrecks, High and Dry), and has published Jack's "Wrecks On..." series since 1989. He has added a significant amount of information on the Australia Run in relation to early emigration, and has included further wrecks and photographs as a result of his extensive research. 

Australian Shipwrecks Volume Six - The Australia Run will be a worthy addition to any library, whether as a single independent volume or as part of the complete set. It is a "stand alone" book in its own right as it covers the total period of colonial Australia's maritime history. Production will be of high quality as is the objective of Oceans Enterprises publications. The volume will be hardcover, with dust jacket, approx 300 pages, approx 100 prints and photographs, approx 20 maps.

Although The Australia Run is a volume within the Australian Shipwreck series, it nevertheless stands on its own as a fascinating story of emigration to Australia and the plight of ships on The Australia Run.

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