Home > SS Yongala

En route from Melbourne to Cairns on the night of 23 March 1911, it steamed into a cyclone and sank without a trace outside Townsville, Australia. The cause of the wrecking remains a mystery.

Cooma avoided the force of the cyclone in shelter of the nearby Cape Bowling Green . Yongala would probably not have suffered this tragedy had it had installed a wireless radio that could have warned them about the imminent danger. Ironically Yongala was due for a refit in Cairns, including installing a radio, at the end of its last journey.

124 passengers and crew were on the manifest. Children were usually not included, so the actual numbers were most likely higher. All passengers and crew perished along with a prize bull and a racehorce named 'Moonshine'.

Located as an 'unidentified wreck' during WWII, it was rediscovered in 1958 and positively identified by a serial number on a Chubb strongbox in 1961.

The wreck of Yongala is 109 meters in length. The bow points in a northerly direction (347º), and although it lies listing to starboard at an angle of between 60º - 70º, the vessel's structural integrity has been retained. The depth of water to the sea floor is approximately 30 metres, with the upper sections of the wreck 16 metres below the surface.

The wreck has become an established artificial reef, providing a structurally complex habitat for a diverse range of marine life. The seafloor surrounding the wreck is open and sandy.

In 1981Events January-February January Sarawak Chamber found January 1 Greece enters the EEC January 1 Palau becomes self-governing January 4 Sheffield police arrests Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper January 16 Protestant gunmen shoot and wound Bernadette D the wreck was sketched by marine biologist Leon Zann . Although the superstructureIn social sciences, superstructure is the set of socio-psychological feedback loops that maintain a coherent and meaningful structure in a given society, or part thereof. It can include the culture, institutions, power structures, roles, and rituals of th of the wreck remains intact and very much like this sketch, the significant build up of sand around the starboard side of the vessel has been scoured away, and the ventilators and railings have collapsed.

The wreck of Yongala lies within the central section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine ParkThe Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from activities that would damage it. Fishing and the removal of artifacts or wildlife ( fish, coral, sea shells etc) is strictly regulated, and commercial shipping. It is approximately 48 nautical miles south east of Townsville and 12 nautical miles east of Cape Bowling Green.

SS Yongala is today a major tourist attraction for the diveSCUBA is an acronym for Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus . These initials likely originated in the US Navy to refer to US commando frogman's rebreathers. As with radar, the acronym has become so familiar that capitalisation is often omitted. industry in Townsville.

Currently, only a few boats (2 day trip, and some live aboardLive aboard (noun or verb) refers to living aboard a boat for some period of time. In the recreational diving industry, unlike day boats, live aboard offers its guests to stay on board for one or more nights. This allows time to travel to more distant div) are allowed into the area.

In late 20022002 is a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). 2002 was the first palindromic year since 1991 and the last until 2112. 2002 was also designated: International Year of Ecotourism and Mountains National Science Year in the United Kingdom, the site had several mooringA mooring (also moorage or berth is a device to which a boat can attach so that it can remain in the same position. A mooring is typically a heavy object located on the sea bed with a rope or cable going to the surface where a float makes it possible to ps installed to ensure that no more impact damage occurs by careless anchoring practices. A policy of 'No Anchoring' was also introduced within the protected zone following the installation of the moorings.

The wreck is protected under the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and is managed through the Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville. Penetration diving and interference with artefacts is prohibited under the terms of the Act. Access to the site is through permit only, obtainable from the Maritime Archaeology Section of the Museum of Tropical Queensland