Shipwreck Trails
Adelaide's Underwater Heritage Trail
Adelaide's Underwater Heritage Trail interprets four shipwrecks located in Gulf St Vincent; the Grecian, Zanoni (250Kb PDF), Star of Greece and Norma. These wrecks represent a variety of vessels associated with trade and development in South Australia during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and span the period of British shipbuilding from 1841 to 1893. The remains demonstrate the four major types of materials used in sailing vessel construction during that era - wood, composite (wood and iron), iron and steel. This trail, which extends from the Star of Greece, off Port Willunga, to the Zanoni (250Kb PDF), about 15 kilometres south east of Ardrossan, includes a brochure and 4 underwater plaques placed adjacent to each wreck. Wardang Island Maritime Heritage TrailEight shipwrecks located around Wardang Island, near Port Victoria in Spencer Gulf, have been marked as part of this trail. Port Victoria, on the west coast of Yorke Peninsula, was an important trading port in the early 1900s and was one of the last Australian ports to see large square-rigged sailing vessels operate on a commercial basis. The last 'Grain Race' from Australia to Britain began from Port Victoria in 1949. Of the eight wrecks featured in this trail, the Monarch, S.S. Australian, S.S. Investigator, MacIntyre and Moorara were small local schooners and coastal steamers used to carry wheat and other cargo to Port Victoria from outlying areas, and to ferry wheat from the jetty to the larger vessels at anchor. The Aagot, Notre Dame D'Arvor and Songvaar were three masted square-riggers which carried the grain overseas. The Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail includes a waterproof booklet for underwater use, plaques adjacent to each of the eight shipwrecks and six land-based interpretive signs located at Port Victoria. Investigator Strait Shipwreck Trail
Investigator Strait is the extensive and navigable stretch of water which lies between southern Yorke Peninsula and Kangaroo Island. Captain Matthew Flinders gave it this name on 27 March 1802 in honour of his ship, HMS Investigator. The use of this seaway has not been without cost. Between 1849 and 1982, 26 vessels are known to have been wrecked in the waters of Investigator Strait with the loss of over 70 lives. A number of these shipwrecks still await discovery! The shipwrecks which have been highlighted in the Investigator Strait Shipwreck Trail were selected for a variety of reasons: the strange and tragic circumstances surrounding their loss, their historical significance, and because they provide an enjoyable underwater experience for beginners and advanced divers. Download the S.S. Clan Ranald brochure (600Kb PDF). The Investigator Strait Shipwreck Trail includes a water-proof booklet as well as 8 land-based interpretive signs.
Garden Island Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail
The abandoned wrecks of the Garden Island Ships' Graveyard represent a unique collection of craft which plied South Australian waters during an era when the maritime industry dominated transport, trade and employment. From 1909-1945 the North Arm of the Port Adelaide River became the final destination for many vessels which had outlived their usefulness - casualties of technological change; of the Great Depression and two World Wars; or simply of disrepair and accidental damage. Instead of scuttling these obsolete vessels in deep water, the South Australian Harbors Board decided that an easier and cheaper option was to beach and further dismantle the stripped hulks at Garden Island. The 25 wrecks known to have been abandoned in the North Arm are a varied group of dredges, barges, pontoons and ferries as well as sailing ships and steamers. Many ended their working lives in the Port as storeships and tenders. One even became a footbridge and another a floating grain mill. Today the historic wrecks which line Garden Island are partially shielded by mangroves and washed by the tide. They represent a significant chapter in South Australia's maritime history and provide valuable insights into Port Adelaide and its past. The Garden Island Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail includes 5 interpretive signs (2.3Mb PDF) (2 at the Garden Island Boat Ramp and 3 on piles adjacent to the main group of wrecks), a 50-page booklet and a website outlining the history of the Graveyard and its abandoned vessels. Kangaroo Island Shipwreck TrailThe first European to record Kangaroo Island was Matthew Flinders during his survey in the Investigator in 1802. In 1803 French Captain Nicolas Baudin circumnavigated and charted the whole island. From 1803 till 1836 the island was home for sealers, whalers and outcasts. Some of the men were notorious for their crimes and cruelties and one visitor described Kangaroo Island at that time as the most vicious place in the British Empire. Over 60 shipwrecks have been recorded following official settlement in 1836. Some like the Loch Sloy, and Loch Vennachar, Osmanli and You Yangs were both dramatic and tragic. Many, such as the Portland Maru, offer fascinating and rewarding experiences for divers. A downloadable brochure (200Kb PDF) and 8 signs comprise the Kangaroo Island Shipwreck Trail.
Port Elliot Maritime Heritage Trail
This trail consists of 5 interpretive signs and a colour brochure which highlight Port Elliot's role as the first seaport for the River Murray trade. Development of the river as a significant inland transport route involved by-passing the hazardous Murray Mouth and constructing a rail link (the first public railway in Australia) between Port Elliot on the coast and the Port of Goolwa on the Murray. From 1851 to 1866 more than 500 vessels used the facilities of the seaport. Unfortunately the wrecking of 7 vessels between 1853-1864 confirmed Horseshoe Bay's growing reputation as a 'ship-trap', resulting in Victor Harbor replacing Port Elliot as the coastal outlet for the Murray trade. Four of the vessels wrecked within the bay (Harry, Josephine Loizeau, Lapwing and Flying Fish) are often exposed within the surf zone at Horseshoe Bay and continue to interest many visitors to the beach. The Emu, Commodore and Athol sites are thought to lie outside Horseshoe Bay and are yet to be located. Download the Port Elliot Maritime Heritage Trail brochure (300Kb PDF).
Southern Ocean Shipwreck Trail
The Southern Ocean Shipwreck Trail encompasses the region between the Victorian border and the Murray Mouth, where 101 vessels have been wrecked with 218 lives lost. The region includes South Australia's worst maritime tragedy, the loss of the Admella with 89 passengers and crew near Cape Northumberland in 1859. Other notable shipwrecks include the Geltwood (400Kb PDF), a 1056 ton sailing ship wrecked in 1876 with the loss of 31 lives; the Maria, a small sailing vessel wrecked off the Coorong in 1840, with all passengers and crew killed while attempting to reach Encounter Bay; and the Phaeton, an American sailing vessel lost while bringing Chinese immigrants into Robe in 1857. This trail includes a booklet and 10 land-based interpretive signs overlooking the scenes of some of these tragedies. River Boat TrailThe River Boat Trail encompasses the entire South Australian section of the River Murray and interprets the many and varied historic sites that still exist along this section of the River. These sites include the remains of paddle steamers, barges and other vessels as well as buildings, structures and other features related to shipping on the River Murray from the 1850s to the 1940s. Over 60 shipwrecks, a lighthouse, 12 wharves, 24 jetties, a morgue and 16 surviving historic vessels are just some of the sites and places identified in the River Boat Trail. Eleven interpretive signs have been positioned in towns along the Murray, and together with the published booklet provide information about historic sites in each region. Jervois Basin Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail
The region known as the Jervois Basin lies within the upper reaches of the Port Adelaide River. For more than a century this area was a busy commercial and industrial centre, as international and coastal vessels made their way to the wharves and industries along the riverfront. It was also Port Adelaide's major ship-breaking site, with countless vessels ending their days at the wharves or on the mudbank. Today the Jervois Basin is a quiet backwater, with reclamation and redevelopment obscuring much of its maritime past. Fortunately the remains of five vessels broken up in the Basin are still evident in the ships' graveyard on the western bank. The Jervois Basin Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail, which consists of five interpretive signs along the Ethelton Bank, highlights the history and archaeological significance of these remains. It also tells the story of this significant region and of the many vessels broken up in the area. |
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