Emily-1868

The Emily was a 40-tonne schooner-rigged vessel with two masts. It was built in Fremantle as a coastal trader and was launched in April 1868. Before the end of May the Emily had completed her maiden voyage between Fremantle and Port Irwin (now Dongara) and had sailed again for Irwin. On 13 June the Emily set out on the return voyage to Fremantle with a crew of four and a cargo of copper ore, but during the night a gale blew in from the north-west and the schooner was driven ashore. Pieces of the wreck were found on the beaches of Rottnest Island but the location of the Emily was not discovered until two months later, when the hull was found on the beach just south of the town of Two Rocks at a site now known as Wreck Point. The wreck lay partly covered in sand with some of the cargo of copper ore still in the hull. Over the years, the wreck was forgotten and its location is now unknown.

 

Seabird-1874

The 40-tonne, two-masted schooner Seabird was built in 1865 at the Vasse River (now Busselton). On 11 June 1874 the Seabird left Fremantle heading in a northerly direction. Aboard the vessel was general cargo and 10 passengers of which the majority consisted of ticket-of-leave men (convicts on parole). By the 13th the weather had turned foul. For two days Captain Hanham battled to keep the ship out to sea. Gale-force winds finally forced him to seek shelter behind a reef 5 kin from the shore, where he anchored for the night. The following day the wind shifted to the north-west and the anchor dragged, allowing the Seabird to come dangerously close to the reef. Hanham slipped the mooring chains overboard and ran the Seabird ashore, where it became stranded, approximately 9 km north of the Moore River. While the Captain and crew camped near the stricken vessel, the passengers trekked north, believing they were just to the south of Geraldton. After a long and difficult journey, the two fittest men reached Dongara to raise the alarm. A subsequent inquiry found Captain Hanham guilty of negligence. The wreck was auctioned at Gingin and the cargo salvaged.

The location of the wreck has not been identified, however, 1.5 km south of the town of Seabird and 1.5 km north of the iron wreck Villalta, the remains of a small vessel that may prove to be the Seabird lies in the breakers on a flat reef a few metres from the shore.

Oleander-1884

The 347-tonne wooden barque Oleander was built in 1871 and was lost thirteen years later on a voyage from Shark Bay to Fremantle. The vessel had run aground three times at Shark Bay while loading guano (dried bird droppings) for Hamburg, with no apparent damage. Then on 5 February she commenced to leak heavily, however the ship's captain believed that the ship's pumps could cope and Oleander would reach Fremantle. Three weeks later a storm blew up and the leak increased. The crew was finally forced to abandon the ship about 56 km to the west of Lancelin. The location of the Oleander is unknown.

Villalta-1896

The Villalta left Tacoma (U.S.A.) for Fremantle on 9 November 1896 with a crew of 18 men and a cargo of Oregon pine. The steel barque of 880 tonnes was running at about 6 knots (10 km per hour) when it hit the Leschenault Reef, 7 km south of Seabird. With the ship in danger of breaking up in the heavy seas, a lifeboat was launched, but within minutes it capsized and Captain Harland and an apprentice were lost. Eventually the 16 survivors reached shore. Some time later the Villalta shifted her position. The ship slid off the Leschenault Reef and was eventually beached 3 km south of Seabird. A wreck now believed to be the Villalta lies scattered over a wide area and is partially buried in sand. The wreck is 100 m from the shore and is easily accessible to snorkel divers. At the northern end of the site, section of hull protrudes from the water. 

Ville de Rouen-1901

The Ville de Rouen was a steel-hulled 1143-tonne barque built in St Nazare, France in 1891. 71e ship was sailing from Cardiff bound for the Fremantle Srnelting Works with 1,300 tonnes of coke and pig iron, 25,000 fire-bricks and 1,600 bottles of wine aboard. On 28 October 1901 a combination of strong currents and poor visibility caused the vessel to run aground 1.2 kilometres to the north of its present location. By the next day the stricken ship had bumped across the reef and drifted to its present position. The Captain and crew made no attempt to save the ship, preferring to sample the cargo of wine from the safety of the shore as they watched the ship break up.
The wreck is located approximately 5.5 km offshore from the Moore River just inside of the Ville de Rouen Reef. Wreckage lies scattered over a distance of 87 metres, at a depth of 7-9 m on a reef bottom surrounded by sand. It is covered in most areas by weed growth but is still largely intact and identifiable, making it an attractive dive site. An anchor from the V71h de Rouen is on display outside the Guilderton Country Club.

Hugh Norman - 1910

The Hugh Norman was a 10-tonne schooner wrecked just off Moore River on 3 November 1910. The Captain of the vessel drowned. The wreckage of the schooner has not been located.

Grace Darling - 1914

The Grace Darling was a wooden two-masted schooner built in Hobart, Tasmania in 1869. The 83-tonne vvessel was wrecked in February 1914 while on a voyage from the Abrolhos Islands to Fremantle with a cargo of 1,000 bags of guano. The crew of six were saved.
The wreck site is about one kilometre north of Lancelin Island and 800 metres from shore, on a line of reefs close to the entrance of the Lancelin fishing boat anchorage. Wreckage lies on the reef and in sand holes, varying in depth from three to six metres. The hull is not intact but a large section of the bottom, with ribs and planking can be seen.

SS Venus - 1923

The SS Venus was built in Fremantle in 1897. It was a wooden sailing steamer of 63 tonnes. The vessel was bound from Fremantle to the Abrolhos Islands for the cray fishing season when it was driven ashore during a storm on 21 August 1923, 8 km north of Seabird. Of the 6 crew, 2 men drowned. Efforts to salvage the vessel were unsuccessful. The wreck lies bows-on to the beach with the boiler visible at low tide, protruding from the water about eight metres offshore. Most of the wreckage is buried in the seabed and only becomes visible after storms have scoured away some of the sand.

Seaflower - 1923

The 53-tonne wooden schooner Seaflower was lost on 19 September 1923, in the same area as the Seabird. The Seaflower was bound for Fremantle with a cargo of whale oil and guano from the North West Whaling Company at Point Cloates when it was wrecked approximately 14 km north of the mouth of the Moore River. The vessel capsized in mountainous seas, tossing the crew of five overboard. All but one man drowned and the lone survivor endured a 16 km walk to reach safety at a farm near Gingin. The Seaflower is believed to have foundered on one of the many offshore reefs, where it could have broken up and the pieces drifted into the shore. The ship's compass is now on display at the Guilderton Country Club.
The confusion between the wreck site of the Seabird and the Seaflower may never be resolved, as the size, tonnage and style of the vessels is similar. The Seabird was a wooden 2-masted wooden schooner of 40 tonnes which was wrecked in 1874, just north of Moore River whereas the Seaflower was a wooden schooner of 53 tonnes which was lost in the same area in 1923. The wreck which lies approximately nine kilometres north of Moore River is believed to be the Seabird, however this cannot been confirmed.

Manakoora - 1946 

The Manakoora was a fishing boat lost off Ledge Point in 1946.

Linda - 1950s

The Linda, a Fairmile bound for whaling in the north-west was wrecked on Linda Reef, south of the Moore River mouth. Although the exact date is unknown, it is presumed it went down in the 1950s. The exact number of crew is also unknown but two men died and a small dog survived. One of the two engines and some fittings were salvaged.

JP Webb -1951

The 983-tonne steam-driven hopper barge, JP Webb was lost en route from England to Melbourne. The 983-tonne barge had been built in Glasgow for the Melbourne Harbour Trust and was designed for dredging work in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. The ill-fated vessel was launched in April 1951, only to run aground four months later on what is now known as Webb Reef. It lies 1.6 km west of Ledge point at a depth of 3-6 metres. The main features of the wreck are the boiler and a large triple expansion steam engine. The boiler is clearly visible from the surface, lying about one metre below the water. The site has been extensively salvaged but remains an attractive and easily accessible wreck dive in good conditions. 

Key Biscayne - 1983

The 2738-tonne jack-up oil rig Key Biscayne capsized during a violent storm while under tow from the Northern Territory to Fremantle. At the height of the storm the tow lines broke and the rig began to list dangerously. It was due to the skill and bravery of the rescue helicopter pilots that all 52 crew members were saved before the rig finally sank. It now lies approximately 19 km north-west of Ledge Point. The rig lies upside down with the bottom of its platform in 20 metres of water sloping up from south to north. The legs of the rig lie on the sea floor on a north/ south axis at a depth of 40 metres. This is a spectacular dive site, but it is only suitable for very experienced divers. Persons wishing to visit this site should contact the local dive charter operators for further information.

WH Gemini II - 1993

The WH Gemini II was one of two identical hopper barges owned by Mr Des Ceray. In 1993 Mr Ceray sold the barge for a nominal amount to a local charter boat operator Mr John Clarke, for the purpose of sinking the hulk to create a recreational dive site. The barge was towed to a site near the Two Rocks marina were it was scuttled. In the process of sinking, the hull capsized and now lies on a sandy seabed in 30 metres of water. For more information about the wreck, please contact local charter operators.

These wrecks are a part of Western Australia's heritage. Please enjoy them but do not disturb them.

 

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