AUSTRALIA’S 50 GREAT WRECK DIVES

Australia’s 60,000-kilometre (40,000 mi) coastline has seen the demise of over 8,000 wrecks, of which, about 6,000 still remain undiscovered.

The earliest known Australian wreck is the British sailing vessel Trial (1622) in the Montebello Islands, are also home of the HMS Plym (1952) crater formed when the British set off an experimental atomic bomb inside the vessel.

The largest Australian wreck, Sanko Harvest (1999) off Esperance, is said to be second largest diveable wreck in the world.

The most famous Australian wreck dive, claimed by many to be the best wreck dive in the world, is SS Yongala (1911) lost in a cyclone near Townsville, Queensland with the loss of all 52 lives onboard.

Some of the more infamous, rarely dived, historic wrecks, include:

1. Batavia (1629), wrecked in the Hartman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, the scene of mutiny, rape and murder. Over 200 perished!
2. HMS Pandora (1791), which had 14 Bounty mutineers housed on deck in “Pandora’s Box” when she struck reef in Far North Queensland. Survivors included 89 crew and 10 mutineers while 35 men perished.
3. Sydney Cove (1797), wrecked off Preservation Island in Tasmania, it has an amazing story of survival and rescue.
4. Loch Ard (1878), wrecked near Port Campbell in Victoria, where Eva Carmicheal and crewman Tom Pearce were the only survivors of 54 passengers and crew.
5. RMS Quetta (1899), 133 died after she struck a coral mount in the Torres Strait Islands off Thursday Island in Far North Queensland.

Darwin Harbour is the resting place of numerous wrecks, USAT Mauna Loa, lost during World War Two air raids by the Japanese in 1942, and other vessels lost during Cyclone Tracy in 1974, such as Booya.

In the past, many “Ships’ Graveyards” were established around Australia to dispose of unwanted vessels. The most well-known are off Rottnest Island, WA, Sydney, NSW, and Barwon Heads, Victoria.

There are four World War One J Class Submarines in Victoria’s graveyard.

Unfortunately, most “Graveyard” ships are too deep for recreational scuba diving on air, snorkelling and freediving.

Many other structures lay in the depths too. These include barges, aircraft, Western Australia’s sensational drilling rig, Key Biscayne (1999), and the many purposely sunk vessels for dive sites and artificial reefs.

Australia also has “The Magnificent Seven”, seven purposely scuttled former Royal Australian Navy warships.

Australia’s many wrecks, now artificial reefs, generally support huge arrays of marine life and provide fascinating views into the past!

WARNING: Wrecks should not be penetrated without proper training & equipment!

NOTE: All wrecks and related artifacts older than 75 years in Australian waters are protected by the Australian Historic Act 1976. Nothing can be taken!

Australia’s 50 Great Dives includes seven wrecks!

QUEENSLAND

VICTORIA

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

NORTHERN TERRITORY