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Divers Den

ROTTNEST WRECKS HERITAGE TRAIL (1880’s)

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
Wadjemup was named Rottnest (Rats Nest) Island by Dutch visitors in 1696 after mistaking the resident marsupial Quokkas as rats.

The offshore island is 18 kilometres (11 mi) west of Perth in the Indian Ocean, and over 12 vessels have come to grief on the island’s rugged coast and reefs since 1842.

The Rottnest Wrecks Heritage Trail commemorates these wrecks and there are land and underwater plagues detailing the history of the loses.

The underwater trail provides excellent wreck diving for scuba divers and, in most cases, snorkellers and freedivers too.

While some wrecks are now almost non-existent other than scattered debris, the remains of other wreck are quite extensive.

Of the dozen or so wrecks on the trail, the more popular wrecks for diving are:

Lady Elizabeth (1878), 48.7 metre (160‘), 658-ton, three-masted barque built in 1869, Sunderland, England.

Lost in a gale when bound for Shanghai from Fremantle with the loss of one life.

Significant wreckage lies in seven metres (23’) of water with the bow wedged into the reef. Lots of wreck structure including the hull and masts still remain.

Macedon (1883), 67.2 metre (220’), 826-ton barque rigged iron screw steamer, built in 1870, Liverpool, England.

Ran aground on Transit Reef in Thompson Bay and sits in 3-6 metres (10-20’) next to the Denton Holme.

Even though she was sold for salvage, the middle of the hull is still intact to the main deck.

Mira Flores (1886), 49.2 metre (161’), 500-ton iron barque built in 1867, Liverpool, England.

Struck Horseshoe Reef and now lies in 13 metres (43’) on sand in a hole.

The most intact section is the stern and the bow faces shore.

Denton Holme (1890), 65 metre (213’), 998-ton iron barque built in 1863, Belfast, Ireland.

Ran aground on Transit Reef in Thompson Bay while awaiting a pilot and now sits in 3-6 metres (10-20’).

The bow is the most prominent feature and she lays next to the Macedon.

City Of York (1899), 67.9 metre (223’), 1,194-ton iron barque built in 1869, Glascow, Scotland.

Struck reef in a storm and 12 lives were lost when their lifeboat capsized.

She is now a tangle of iron plates, ribs and beams laying on rock in seven metres (23’) in the bay named after her.

Rottenest Island is one of Australia’s 50 Great Dives! READ MORE

Special thanks to      
Copyright © 2025 Steve Sinclair

DIVE DETAILS
Scuba:                                      
Open Water
Snorkelling:                           
Fantastic snorkelling & freediving
Access:                                     
Boat only (45 minutes)
Depth:                                      
3 – 15 metres (20-50’)
Visibility:                                
10 – 30 metres (30-100’)
Water temperature:           
18 – 24°C (64-75°F)
Seasonal:                                
No, can visit anytime

OTHER GREAT DIVES WHILE IN THE AREA
Stragglers Rock, North & South Molle, Ammo Jetty, Carnac Island Seals, Point Peron and Marmion Marine Reserve.

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

DIVE TRAVEL SERVICES