SS Yongala

SS Yongala was a steel passenger and freight steamer, owned by the Adelaide Steamship Company. SS Yongala and her sistership, Grantala, were built in Newcastle upon Tyne, England between 1903 - 1904 Yongala was named after the town Yongala, in South Australia. En route from Melbourne to Cairns on the night of 23 March 1911, she steamed into a cyclone and sank without a trace until during WWII when the wreck was located outside Townsville, Australia. The actual cause of the sinking remains a mystery. Grantala 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 her 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 race horse named 'Moonshine'. Located as an 'unidentified wreck' during WWII, she 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 meters below the surface. The wreck has become an established artificial reef, providing a structurally complex habitat for a diverse range of marine life. The sea floor surrounding the wreck is open and sandy. In 1981 the wreck was sketched by marine biologist Leon Zann. Although the superstructure 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 Park. It is approximately 48 nautical miles (89 km) south east of Townsville and 12 nautical miles (22 km) east of Cape Bowling Green. SS Yongala is today a major tourist attraction for the dive industry in Townsville. In late 2002, the site had several moorings 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. Source: Wikipedia ******* It is reputedly rated as one of the top ten dives wrecks in Oz, possibly the world. Having dived it many times and also having dived the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in numerous spots, I can say unequivocally, that its easily rates as the best shallow shipwreck in Australia. After having completed a Thesis on shipwrecks in Townsville area for a science degree in archaeology, what I tell everyone who cares to asks about this wreck is that, if they are going to go to the GBR, then forget diving the GBR quays (keys), which are overloaded with tourists and essentially unprotected (over-dived), as such and go straight to the Yongala. It shits on the reef for a dive site in terms of both, marine biodiversity and as a shipwreck. It has everything the quays have and more, all in the confines of the wreck site. Human bones can still be found and are protected of course, so the sense of tragedy still very much surrounds the wreck site.y reasons for this are simple. My reasons for this advice are simple. It cost good money to dive in this region. Don't spend your money diving two or more sites to see the same thing in different spots (such as Cairns and the Whitsunday's) and then miss the opportunity diving the Yongala, which I have seen people do (because they wished to dive the Cairns reef region, and have then missed getting down to Townsville or Ayr). Go straight to the S.S. Yongala and fork your money out there, before heading north or south on the coast. Doing an overnight trip will give you a greater chance of success of seeing the wreck and possibly some reef in the local area as well. Keep your eye out for the supposed local tiger shark and Whale (when in season)!!! My last dive here I saw a albino whale (minke?) with calf. They were really motoring south bound about 60 ft away from the wreck! Huge!!! This can easily go from being a fantastic to a spectacular dive in seconds. Enjoy! P.S. Additional information regarding the wreck can be obtained from either the Maritime Museum in Townsville (see also the informative display on the18th Century PANDORA wreck- located 700klms north of Townsville) or from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). Garth Henderson B.Sc. B.A. (ARCH) Maritime Archaeologist The wreck of Yongala lies within the central section of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It is approximately 48 nautical miles (89 km) south east of Townsville and 12 nautical miles (22 km) east of Cape Bowling Green. By boat: about 3hrs from Townsville. The site can be dived from Ayr, via a RIB. This makes the trip to the wreck much shorter but somewhat more exposed. Sea conditions can vary greatly and reasonably quickly so be prepared if travelling to the area that you may get to Ayr/Townsville and may not be able to dive on that day in question.