Name  (Year)

Description

1-9

Wrecks 1 to 9 are hulks of ships that were sunk or scuttled in Jervoise Bay for various reasons. These wrecks range from sailing ships, a steamer, through to a World War II submarine. For further information on these wrecks please see the Maritime Museum's Jervoise Bay Wreck Guide.

A 715-ton iron barque that sank in 15 metres of water off the south west of Carnac Island after hitting Challenger Rock in 1898. The cargo of 1,200 tons of mixed goods valued at £20,000, considered a huge sum at that time, was lost but all hands escaped to safety.

The three-masted wooden schooner of 384 tons was sunk in 1877. Loaded with timber and in a sinking condition, she came into Fremantle on the 22nd of May 1877 and is believed to be either the wreck uncovered in Careening Bay in 1973 or one of the unidentified ships in Jervoise Bay (See wreck 15).

The Twinkling Star was a wooden two-masted schooner built in London in 1866. The Twinkling Star first arrived in Fremantle in 1867 and become a part of the coastal trade carrying cargo. The ship was returning to Fremantle from Champion Bay on the 3rd of January 1873. Several days after the ship sank salvage was attempted; however little more than the masts and rigging were recovered. The wreck has not yet been located but it is believed to be just west of Mount Haycock on Garden Island.

The Camilla was built in Leith, London in 1834. She was a 20-ton copper-fastened, yellow-metalled, wood barquentine. In 1903 worn out after a long career, she was scuttled in an area south of Jervoise Bay which was used as a ship's graveyard until 1910.

Formerly known as the Parmelia, it was built as a bucket dredge during the 1930's. Renamed D9 when sold to the Dredging Industries of Australia, she was converted to a suction dredge for the excavation of the channels of Kwinana. Sunk in 1962 for unknown reasons and was then moved to the middle of Cockburn Sound where she is now located.

Built in Canada in 1865, this ship was a three-masted wooden barque, with a yellow-metalled hull, fastened with iron and copper bolts. During the night, whilst anchored in Gage Roads, she was run down by the S.S Australind. Due to severe damage she was later used as a general purpose hulk. The Annie Lisle is more than likely the unknown wreck in Careening Bay found in 1973 (see wreck 11) while dredging for the Garden Island wharves was underway.

A wooden sailing vessel of 500 tons used as a merchant vessel. She arrived in the Swan River Colony during May of 1830 badly damaged. Despite this it was decided to sail her to Batavia (Jakarta), but after a majority of the crew jumped ship in Cockburn Sound the journey was aborted. The ship was sailed into Careening Bay where it sank giving name to the City of Rockingham. It is not known whether the Rockingham remains in Careening Bay or if it's timbers were used to construct houses and boats in the local settlement. The 200 migrants aboard all survived.

A two-masted Brigantine made of wood that lies in Careening Bay at the south end of Garden Island. Of 498 tons, it is believed to have capsized and sunk in Careening Bay in 1893 while at it's mooring.

The Kwinana, a State Shipping Service 3,295 ton steamer, was built in Sunderland, England. In December 1920, then known as the Darius she was damaged by fire near Carnarvon and brought to Fremantle. Then on the 30`^h of May 1922 at Careening Bay she was blown ashore during a storm to a spot now known as Kwinana Beach. The Aboriginal name Kwinana means 'pretty maiden' which is where she got her name. The Kwinana'.s hull shape can still clearly be seen at the breakwater/pier today.

The SS Carnbria was a small coastal steamer built in Tasmania in 1885. It was a wooden hulled, single screw steam ship and was also rigged as a two-masted ketch. On Sunday 4`^h March 1900 the Cambria left Fremantle for Bunbury in moderate seas. After passing Challenger Passage the conditions deteriorated so the Captain decided to seek refuge at Rockingham. While heading through South Channel the ship hit a reef and after an attempt to free her the propeller shaft snapped off and the Cambria sank. The wreck site has not been located; however it is believed to be along the Collie Ledge.

This 236-ton composite barque drifted ashore at Rockingham in gale force winds on the 17" March 1887. The vessel's construction with iron frames, iron beams, wooden planking and yellow-metal fastenings represented the evolution from wooden to composite vessels. This wreck can be visited by beach goers.

Ran ashore on a long shelving bottom near Busselton while loading sleepers for Silverton Railway in S.A. The vessel was condemned, but the hull was in reasonable condition and was sold as a hulk. The ship was then taken to Careening Bav and used as a coal hulk where it later sank.

Only 15 tons the Devonshire was a small two-masted schooner. During it's journey from Fremantle to Leshenault on the 1" of June 1842, it was lost. She had taken a course between Garden Island and Point Peron through Mangles Bay. The wreckage has never been found but a crew member's remains were washed up on Mangles Bay and the ship's dog was found alive on Garden Island.

The August Tellefsen was built in Norway in 1883. It was a wooden three-masted barque of 738 tons. She arrived in Fremantle on the 24`^° October 1897 where she headed straight for Rockingham to pick up a load of Jarrah. On the 27" a storm blew in and the August Tellefsen broke it's moorings and headed for the Rockingham jetty. After attempts to secure the ship failed it smashed through the jetty and was deemed a total wreck. The jetty was rebuilt over the stricken ship to allow other ships to load. It probably deteriorated where it was. It is believed that parts of the keel still remain at the end of Rockingham Jetty.

The Contest was a barque of 322 tons and was loading sleepers for South Australia. Captain Allen had disobeyed regulations and shifted it's berth to discharge ballast . The hull was then damaged when she ran aground near the present day Palm Beach launching ramp due to a shift in wind direction. Its remains lie beneath the shallows at Palm Beach.

The Cumberland was a small wooden cutter wrecked in the vicinity of Shoalwater Bay on the 28/29th of August 1 843. The captain and three hands were lost in the incident, which did not become common knowledge until a year after it was wrecked. The Cumberland left Fremantle for Port Augusta and it carried the property of the Bussell family. The wreckage was never found by the authorities and suspicions arose when same of the Bussell's property turned up in the colony. Seven men were tried and sent to Tasmania for robbery and looting.

The Orizaba was a 3325-ton Orient liner. It was wrecked on the 17`^h February 1905, after it had been brought over the Five Fathom Bank with the crew thinking they were heading for Fremantle. After realising their error, instead of anchoring they steamed back out to sea and struck a reef. The wreck has been heavily salvaged and makes for an interesting dive.

The Dolphin was built in Port Adelaide in 1882. It was a goods steamer measuring 100ft long and of 146 tons. The Dolphin was a wooden carvel-planked, screw steamer. Originally used as a goods steamer it was later converted to a training ship for the WA Sea Scouts. Due to problems in upkeep costs the Dolphin was towed to Penguin Island where it sank. The wreck is situated in shallow water off the northern tip of the island on the eastern side. Little is left of the wreck due to a heavy sand and weed overburden.

The Belle of Bunbury was a 42-ton coastal schooner which met her fate on the Murray Reefs near Penguin Island. She struck a rock just off Penguin Island and sailed on for only 80 metres before sinking in 6 metres of water. No lives were lost though the cargo of 6 tons of potatoes and 70 bales of wool could not be salvaged.

The Carlisle Castle, a 1484-ton iron barque was built in London in 1868. The wrecking occurred at night during a violent storm when the breakers of the Coventry Reef could not be seen. The ship went down quickly. There were no survivors and between 21 and 25 lives were lost. This is a very popular dive on the northern end of Coventry Reef.

The Bungaree was built at Jervis Bay (NSW) in 1866 and was designed around a British topsail wooden schooner. On the 13"' June 1876 she was returning from a trip to Batavia with a cargo of sugar, tea and coconuts when she was hit by heavy squalls. The Bungaree ran aground on the Sisters Reef near the wreck of the Chalmers. The captain tried but was not able to save the vessel. There were no casualties, however all cargo was lost.

The Chalmers was built in the UK in 1851. It was a wooden three-masted barque of 600 tons. The ship ran aground on the Sisters Reef on the 19"' of March 1874 when the captain was attempting a run through the South Passage. He mistakenly believed he saw the Fremantle lighthouse which was actually a bushfire. The captain's licence was cancelled indefinitely even after an appeal. The wreck lies 800 metres south of the Sisters Rocks.

The Hero of Nile was a 356-ton three-masted wooden, full rigged ship built in Cowes, Isle of Wight in 1852. Carrying sand ballast she went aground near Becher Point, Warnbro Sound. It lies under weed and sand so little can be seen, though a few iron beams are visible.

The Star, was a two-masted wooden schooner which was wrecked on the Murray Reefs west of Becher Point on the 20"' of October 1880, after a whaling expedition. She sank with all apparatus aboard, though the cargo was salvaged. John Bateman, the owner from Fremantle was aboard when the event occurred. Captain Sheppard's certificate was suspended for 18 months after an enquiry found he neglected to take soundings with a lead line.

The Robertina was a 213-ton wooden brig. Her cargo on the voyage when she was wrecked near Mmray Reefs was timber, flour and whale oil. Her captain, Davis was charged but not found guilty of neglect of duty. The crew members and 7 passengers on the ship had little time to reach the boats because it sank immediately. The cargo was sold at an auction.

The Highland Forest was an iron barque of 998 tons. It was totally destroyed on 29''' April, 1901 on a voyage from New York when it struck a reef. The wreck lies 6 kilometres offshore on the Muway Reefs. Author Joseph Conrad wrote a novel based upon his experiences on the Highland Forest before it was wrecked.

These wrecks are described in detail in the Mandurah Wreck Trail Pamphlet.