Adelaide’s famous Underwater Heritage Trail offers divers an outstanding look at four fantastic shipwrecks, which are located in Gulf St. Vincent, and which illustrate the development of trade and growth across southern Australia.
The Grecian, Zanoni, Star of Greece and Norma were all products of British shipyards, and were built between 1841 and 1893. Variously fabricated of wood, composite (a mixture of wood and iron components), iron, and steel, each of the wrecks is marked with an underwater plaque.
The Grecian
The Grecian was 35 meters long, and was constructed of wood. During October of 1850, she ran aground during a gale storm. Built in Sunderland, England, this ship was a triple-masted sailing barque. One unfortunate passenger lost his life in the wreck, but the rest managed to make it to safety.
Today, the remains of the ship are often heavily silted, and visibility in the area can be poor. Still, this is an exceptional look at the heavy timber construction and fine workmanship of the ship’s day. At just ten meters, the site can be visited by all.
Zanoni
The Zanoni was built in Liverpool, in 1865. While sailing from Port Wakefield to London, laden with 15 tons of bark and more than 4,000 bags of wheat, she was suddenly overtaken by a cyclone that built up during a fast-moving squall, and flipped end over end before she sank. Incredibly, no lives were lost in this spectacular accident; the lifeboat floated free, and the whole crew managed to escape after scrabbling up Zanoni’s keel, then recovering the lifeboat.
Zanoni’s whereabouts were not known, until she was discovered in 1983, in 18 meters of water in the middle of St. Vincent’s Gulf. Today, she bears the distinct honor of being one of Australia’s most complete 19th century shipwrecks, and also the best preserved of Australia’s wooden wrecks. Many artifacts were recovered from the ship, and can be viewed in the Ardrossan National Trust Museum.
Star of Greece
The Star of Greece was a magnificent three masted iron ship, built in Belfast in 1868. On July 13th of 1888, she was carrying a load of wheat and leaving the port of Adelaide, when tragedy struck. The ship snapped in two and was tossed about like a toy, while crew and passengers floundered in the massive waves that were pounding the coast that day. Help from Adelaide did not arrive until four in the afternoon, at which point all survivors were on shore. Records of those lost are poor, but it is known that at least 18 people died in the wreck.
At low tide, you can see part of the Star of Greece protruding from the water, and diving is easy in good weather. You can dive from shore, or you can take a charter to see this intriguing wreck.
Norma
The Norma was 278 feet long, and had four masts. This iron barque was rammed while at anchor, and sank about 5 kilometers off the shore of North Haven, in just 14 meters of water. Luckily, the crew managed to escape.
Norma was dynamited due to her position in the shipping channel, and is now spread over a large area. Though her remains consist primarily of eerily shaped twisted metal, the bow is still recognizable, and offers a safe haven to all sorts of fish, plus a healthy population of wobbegong sharks.
These four intriguing wrecks offer even divers with very little experience a chance to see the kind of historic shipwrecks some people can only dream about. There are plenty of reputable dive operators in the area – they’ll gladly arrange your visit and provide you with even more information about these incredible old ships!