LADY BOWEN (1894)
Mission Beach, Queensland
Four-masted iron schooner rigged sailing vessel
VESSEL DETAILS
Launched:
1864, Glascow, Scotland
Sank:
1894, struck a shoal
Length:
69.6 metres (228’)
Beam:
7.8 metres (26’)
Displacement:
702 tons
Speed:
Unknown
Crew:
Unknown
Passengers:
Unknown
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 Shipwrecks Act 1976. Nothing can be taken!
INFORMATION
The four-masted iron schooner, Lady Bowen, came to grief on 19 August 1894 whilst in transit from Dungeness, north Queensland to Sydney, New South Wales.
She struck Kennedy Shoal in heavy rain and luckily all the crew managed to safely reach nearby Cardwell in the vessel’s boats.
Lady Bowen now lays upright, with a slight starboard (right side) list on sand about four kilometres (2nm) off Kennedy Shoal at a depth of 33 metres (110’).
The outline of the hull is quite obvious, as is some super structure, ballast, planking, an anchor winch and anchor.
The wreck is home an array of marine life including beautiful corals, groper, snapper, schools of fusiliers, sweetlips and lionfish.
Large sea turtles and sea snakes are also commonly encountered.
The Lady Bowen is certainly worth a dive when in the area!
Special thanks to Rob Parsonage and the Mission Beach Dive Team
Copyright © 2025 Steve Sinclair
DIVE DETAILS
Scuba:
Advanced Diver
Snorkelling:
Too deep for snorkelling & freediving
Access:
Boat only (40 minutes)
Depth:
26 – 33 metres (85-110’)
Visibility:
12 – 30 metres (40-100’)
Water temperature:
22 – 29°C (72-84°F)
Seasonal:
No, can visit any time
OTHER GREAT DIVES WHILE IN THE AREA
Beaver Reef, Taylor reef, Eddy Reef & Potter Reef.
2026 GREAT AUSTRALIAN DIVE CHALLENGE
Dive Registration
To register this dive for validation, go to: www.50greatdives.com.
NOTE: Entrants should do this dive with one of the following preferred dive services.
DIVE SERVICES
MISSION BEACH DIVE
The Village Green
Shop 16/43 Porter Promenade
Mission Beach QLD 4852
+61 (0) 455 957 263
info@missionbeachdive.com.au
www.missionbeachdive.com.au
DIVE TRAVEL SERVICES
LOCATION
State or Territory:
Queensland
Nearest City:
Cairns
Nearest Regional City:
Cairns
Nearest Town:
Mission Beach
HOW TO GET THERE
AIR:
Nearest International Airport:
Cairns
Nearest Domestic/Regional Airport:
Cairns
ROAD:
Cairns to Townsville:
1.75 hours (139 km/86 mi) via National Highway A1 (Bruce Highway)
BUS:
From Cairns
TRAIN:
No direct train route
