Before the light was built, the sleek barque, the Monumental City, ran aground and she was followed by other ships plying the Sydney to Melbourne run. The Cann River Hotel still boasts the staircase from the beautiful ship, the Riverina, whose boiler can still be seen on the beach opposite Gabo. Many homes in the area hold trophies from one or other of the wrecks and the local abalone divers often find clues to craft that were lost in these treacherous seas.