Around midnight on 21 May 1854, the wooden three-mast ship Brahmin struck a reef and was wrecked three kilometres south of Whistler Point, on the west coast of King Island. The shipwreck took place three days into a fierce gale. Bound for Sydney, the vessel had departed London on 5 February 1854, with 42 passengers and crew. 

Some months later, the schooner Water Witch was caught in a gale in the Bass Strait. The vessel had sailed from Melbourne on 15 September bound for Mauritius, with 26 crew and passengers on board. The vessel was eventually driven ashore, on King Island's western coast. All onboard reached the shore where they later discovered survivors of the Brahmin. 

In a small boat from the Brahmin, two men – one from each crew – set out to seek help. They arrived in Port Phillip the following day after which the paddle-steamer Manchester and the HMCS Electra were sent to recover survivors from both incidents.

Seventeen people drowned in the Brahmin shipwreck.

The survivors of the Water Witch and Brahmin, together with the former's cargo of specie, were brought to Melbourne on 25 October.

Divers rediscovered the wreck of the Brahmin in 1976, 700 metres offshore.