ByM. J. LAPWOOD
Year 10 Craigie Senior High School Work Experience,
& Western Australian Maritime Museum December 1992
IntroductionThe coast adjacent to the City of Wanneroo which extends from Marmion to Two Rocks was visited by European mariners long before the British established the Swan River colony in 1829. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship, Vergulde Draeck foundered in 1656, to the north of Two Rocks. Only 75 crew reached shore with a few provisions. Seven of the crew sailed to Batavia (Jakarta) for assistance, leaving sixty-eight survivors stranded on a barren shore. Over the next few years, every VOC ship passing the Western Australian coast was ordered to search for signs of the castaways. In March 1658, Abraham Leeman van Santwits, first officer and navigator of the Waeckende Boey and thirteen sailors came ashore in the vicinity of Wanneroo Beach where they found wreckage from the Vergulde Draeck but no sign of survivors. Unable to return to their ship because of foul weather, and abandoned by Samuel Volkersen, the skipper of the Waeckende Boey, Leeman set sail for Batavia in an overloaded open boat. He and three sailors survived the epic journey, arriving there on 23 September. A plaque on a limestone obelisk at the end of Marcon Street Two Rocks, marks Leeman's Landing, the place where Leeman and his men came ashore. Twenty years before the arrival of the British settlers, this region was visited by whalers as they followed the pods of whales along the Western Australian coast. After the establishment of the Swan River Colony, local settlers carried on a profitable trade with the whalemen (especially the Americans), exchanging fresh meat and vegetables for whale oil, cloth and cash. It was not long however, before enterprising settlers started their own whaling operations. In 1849 Patrick Marmion employed four boats as whale chasers and built a small whaling station in the area now known as Sorrento. It continued to operate for almost five years. The chimney of Marmion's try works stood to the south of the existing Sorrento Surf Life Saving Club. It was a landmark for many years and was used as a navigation beacon by local fishermen. The map indicates the original site of the try works chimney. In 1970 a plaque was erected in Geneff Park to commemorate the achievements of Patrick Marmion, one of Wanneroo's early pioneers. In early years the waters north of Fremantle was used as a ship's grave yard and the remains of many scuttled wrecks are scattered along the Wanneroo coast. Fifteen shipwrecks are listed below in geographical order from north to south. Although the Ville de Rouen and the Linda are to the north of Wanneroo, they have been included as the Two Rocks Marina is the closest boat launching point to these wreck sites. Two of the vessels mentioned below have not been located and three have not been positively identified. A Global Positioning System (GPS) position is given where the exact location of a wreck is known.
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VILLE DE ROUEN 1891-1901 This wreck has an underwater information plaque on the site. The Ville de Rouen was a 4-masted steel-hulled barque of 1143-tonne. This graceful 67 metre-long vessel was built in St Nazaire, France in 1891. She sailed from Cardiff bound for the Fremantle Smelting Works with 1247 tonnes of coke, 25,000 fire-bricks, 51 tonnes of pig iron and 1600 bottles of wine aboard. On 28 October 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 southward 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 kilometres offshore from the Moore River, just inside the Ville de Rouen Reef. Wreckage lies scattered over 80 metres, at a depth of 7 to 9 metres on a reef bottom surrounded by sand. It is covered in most areas by weed growth but is still largely identifiable, making it an attractive dive site. An anchor from the Ville de Rouen is on display outside the Guilderton Country Club. GPS: Lat. 31° 21.63' S., Long. 115° 26.78' E. This wreck is protected by law, please LOOK BUT DO NOT TOUCH or move artefacts. |
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LINDA 1950 s The Linda, a Fairmile bound for whaling in the north-west was wrecked on Linda Reef, two kilometres south of the Moore River mouth. The exact number of crew is unknown but two men died and small dog survived. One of the two engines and some ship's fittings were salvaged. |
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BARGE (TANAIS stranding) 1965 A 20 metre-long steel barge was lost while under tow to Fremantle, approximately 17 kilometres west of the town of Two Rocks. The barge was carrying cement bags that had been unloaded from the stranded freighter Tanais. The wreck lies in 40 metres of water. Most of the hull structure has collapsed but the cement bags remain neatly stacked. |
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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 Port 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 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. This wreck is protected by law, please LOOK BUT DO NOT TOUCH or move artefacts. |
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NORD STAR II 1988 This steel-hulled fishing boat was lost while under tow. Little remains of the wreck which lies on a rocky bottom on the west side of Gretel Reef. |
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ALEX T BROWN 1917 The 800-tonne Alex T Brown ran aground south of Wreck Point on the 30 May 1917 after leaving Fremantle the previous day. The American-built four masted schooner was bound for Puget Sound via Manila , in ballast. This means she was not loaded with cargo and had ballast (usually rocks) in the holds to make her stable. The Alex T Brown shortly after running aground south of Wreck Point. News of the stranded vessel reached Fremantle the next day when the ship's mate, Mr F. Knutsun arrived at Perth to request assistance of a tug. The tug Wyola was dispatched to the scene but couldn't get near the stranded schooner. After several unsuccessful attempts to refloat her, she was sold as a wreck for £420 to Mr Findlayson of Perth. Several of the early homesteads in the area, (including the historic Aubrey Gibbs house) were built with the timbers salvaged from the ship. The hulk was eventually burned by the owners of the Lindsay homestead, angry because people were trespassing on their property in order to reach the wreck. The remains of the Alex T Brown in 1996. For much of the year it remains covered in sand but wreckage can be exposed after severe gales. Access to the beach is via a sand track to 'The Spot', a local surfing area. A marker has been placed at the end of the track, approximately 100 metres to the north of the wreck. The wreck site can also be accessed by walking north along the beach from Club Capricorn. This wreck is protected by law, please LOOK BUT DO NOT TOUCH or move artefacts.
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Built in Sweden in 1852 as a Baltic trader, the Klaraborg was reputed to have been the oldest ocean-going sailing vessel in the world. The double-masted schooner was built of Baltic pine over oak frames with an overall length of 36.5 metres. In 1965 it was converted to a pleasure yacht for charter work.
The 130-year-old vessel left Fremantle, bound for Singapore on 13 July with a crew of ten, three cats and a parrot. The vessel began taking water from the beginning of the voyage but was in no immediate danger until the pumps failed the following morning. About 1 o'clock in the afternoon a fire broke out in the galley while the crew was busy trying to keep the vessel afloat. Attempts to lower a portable pump from a helicopter failed, as the swaying masts and rigging prevented the pilot from manoeuvring close enough to the ship's heaving deck. She had to be abandoned and all on board were rescued by the State ship MV Koolinda, which was standing by. Only personal items and a small quantity of the ship's gear including the wheel and bell could saved before the schooner sank in deep water some 55 kilometres west of Yanchep. The estimated position of the wreck is; Lat. 31° 33.5' S., Long. 114° 53' E.
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SS ALKIMOS 1963 On 20 March 1963 the ill-fated Greek freighter and former Liberty ship, the SS Alkimos struck a reef near Beagle Island, some 240 kilometres to the north of Fremantle, while on a voyage from Jakarta to Bunbury.
This mishap was the start of a tragic chain of events that was to see the vessel impounded in Fremantle Harbour, run aground on two further occasions and finally sold for scrap in the following year. Five days after running aground at Beagle Island the Alkimos was freed and towed into Fremantle for temporary repairs, only to be impounded in May for non-payment of debts.
This matter was quickly resolved and a tug was chartered to tow the Alkimos to Hong Kong for further repairs. The vessel finally departed on 30 May but within hours of leaving Fremantle the tow line snapped and gale-force winds drove the helpless ship ashore near Wreck Point, 56 kilometres north of Perth.
For four months the ship remained stranded, left to ride out the winter storms. A caretaker was put aboard and during that time stories of bizarre and ghostly events appeared in the press. In January 1964, the tug, Pacific Star arrived to pump out the Alkimos and tow it Manila.
Two attempts were made to refloat the 7291-tonne ship but each time the tow lines parted and it again ran aground. A month later the tug succeeded in securing the Alkimos but before she could be towed away, the Pacific Star was arrested and escorted back to Fremantle, leaving the Alkimos anchored in deep water. Eleven weeks later, on 2 May the ship's anchor chain broke and the unlucky vessel drifted to its present position, only 270 metres from the same beach where she had been previously stranded. Eventually the Alkimos was sold for scrap. In October 1969, a fire broke out while salvors were dismantling the hulk and they were forced to swim to safety.
In recent years the wreck has begun to break up. Hull plates just aft of the bow have collapsed, exposing the interior of the hold and the bridge. Due to the weakened state of the hull structure, the wreck is not considered safe. |
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WH-301 GEMINI 1993 This wreck has an underwater information plaque on the site. The WH-301 also known as Gemini was one of two identical steel hopper barges built in 1962 and registered as WH-301 and WH-302. In 1980 the 36.5 metre-long barges were joined to form a pontoon drill barge for a dredging company in New South Wales. At a later date the 'twins' were separated and eventually sold to Mr D. Ceray of Western Australia. In 1993 WH-301 Gemini was sold to a local charter boat operator for the purpose of creating a recreational dive site for advanced divers. The barge was towed by the Naval tug Tammar to a site near Two Rocks Marina and scuttled. In the process of sinking, the hull capsized and now lies on a sandy seabed in 30 metres of water. The wreck is an excellent dive site and can be enjoyed by advanced divers, thanks to the efforts of salvor, Mr John Clarke, with the assistance of the Royal Australian Navy, the Western Australian Maritime Museum, the Maritime Union of Australia, Stirling Marine, Astral Shipyards, International Shipyards, Perth Diving Academy and several dedicated volunteers.
For more information about the Gemini, please contact local charter operators. |
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EGLINTON 1848-1852 This wreck has an underwater information plaque on the site.
The three-masted wooden barque, Eglinton was built in Quebec, Canada in 1848. In April 1852 this fast and graceful ship of 469 tonnes sailed from Gravesend, England under the command of Captain Bennett with 23 passengers and 20 crew. She carrying a cargo of general merchandise and a consignment of 65,000 gold sovereigns intended for the Government treasury of the struggling Swan River colony. Eight more passengers embarked at Capetown for the voyage to Fremantle.
As everyone aboard celebrated the last night of the voyage, the Eglinton struck an offshore reef, damaging the rudder. Westerly winds drove the stricken vessel over the first line of reef and onto another, one kilometre in-shore. Here, the vessel stuck fast. The ship's guns were fired to raise the alarm but to no avail. The next morning Captain Bennett gave the order to abandon ship. An elderly woman passenger died when a ship's boat overturned and the boatswain drowned attempting to save the ship's chronometer that had fallen overboard in the confusion. Salvors made desperate attempts to retrieve the valuable cargo and all the sovereigns were recovered before the wreck was broken up by winter gales. A subsequent investigation revealed that a navigational error and negligence on part of the captain was responsible for the disaster.
The wreck was re-discovered in 1971 by local skin divers. It lies on Quinns Rocks Reef some two kilometres from shore and 2.4 kilometres from Eglinton Rocks. Delicate drinking glasses and other tableware from the wreck are displayed at the Gloucester Lodge Museum at Yanchep. An anchor and other artefacts can be seen at the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle. GPS: Lat. 31° 38.54' S., Long. 115° 39.53' E. This wreck is protected by law, please LOOK BUT DO NOT TOUCH or move artefacts. |
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CONFERENCE 1855-1904 This wreck has an underwater information plaque on the site.
The Conference was built in 1855 as a 428-tonne barque. The vessel had a long working life with many owners and home ports. Conference was originally registered in Liverpool England and eventually at Geelong, Sydney and Adelaide in Australia and Christchurch and Wellington in New Zealand. In later years the vessel was employed as a coal hulk or floating storage vessel at Albany and finally at Fremantle. The 49 year-old Conference was eventually scuttled in April 1904. The wreck site was located in 1991 and reported to the WA Maritime Museum by a number of dive groups. GPS: Lat. 31° 40.28' S., Long. 115° 39.64' E. This wreck is protected by law, please LOOK BUT DO NOT TOUCH or move artefacts. |
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UNIDENTIFIED WRECK c.1945 In February 1982, the wreck of a small vessel of about 15 tonnes was found lying in one metre of water, approximately ten metres from the shore at Wanneroo Beach, Quinns Rocks. Little is known about the wreck except it is about the size of a small lugger and probably less than 50 years old. It is estimated to have been lost around 1945. |
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LALLA 1917
Built in 1874 in Nova Scotia, Canada as a 3-masted wooden barque, the 1087-tonne Lalla was converted for use as a hulk in 1906. It was lost on 17 August 1917, while being towed away for scuttling at the end of its useful life. The tow line parted and the hulk disappeared somewhere off Halls Bank, pushed along by a strong south-westerly wind. Iron framework and a section of decking that may be from the Lalla lie 20 metres off Ocean Reef Beach, one kilometre north of Ocean Reef Marina. Other wreckage lies scattered along the coast. In 1913 the ship's bell was presented to the Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club for use as a shark alarm. This wreck is protected by law, please LOOK BUT DO NOT TOUCH or move artefacts.
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CENTAUR 1849-1874 This wreck has an underwater information plaque on the site.
The 25-year-old iron brig Centaur was wrecked on 9 December 1874 on Centaur Reef North Beach, (about 24 kilometres north of Fremantle). She carried a cargo of 200 tonnes of lead ore (galena) and four passengers. Captain Brabham gave the order to abandon ship and in about 25 minutes, the passengers and all hands had taken to the boats. A Court of Inquiry found him guilty of negligence and his Master's certificate was suspended for three months. The 191-tonne Centaur was built in Aberdeen in 1849. She had one deck, a square stern and a male bust figurehead. The wreck lies in the Marmion Marine Park, on the southern end of Centaur Reef at a depth of 7 to 189 metres. On the port side of the wreck, sections of iron frames and hull plating stand two metres above the seabed. Small amounts of galena can be seen scattered over the site. GPS: Lat. 31° 51.8' S., Long. 115° 42.66' E. This wreck is protected by law, please LOOK BUT DO NOT TOUCH or move artefacts. |
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UNNAMED CRAYFISHING BOAT ?
The remains of a small crayfishing boat lies in shallow water off Leonard Street, Marmion. |
PLEASE NOTE* Wrecks are often hazardous. * Access to some wrecks requires a boat. * Divers need to be fit and qualified. * Persons diving on these sites do so at their own risk. * A diver must show a dive flag. * Do not dive alone or leave the boat unattended. |
©Western Australian Museum 2004
