By Coral Divers (Suzie Lack / Sash Muller) The “Darwin Princess” was a ferry plying the harbour between Darwin city and Mandorah in 1974 when Cyclone Tracy struck. The young skipper Raymond Curtain, decided to take her to sea, to try to keep her safe from the rising storm surge and huge seas, during the…
(or How wreck identification isn’t always easy!) Written by Greg Blair & Barrie Heard When wrecks have been re-discovered post sinking/scuttling there is a fair amount of effort involved in, first identifying, then verifying, exactly what is the name of the vessel. Sometimes this effort involves far more time than what was spent “mowing the…
On 15 June 1940 a Nazi raider named the Pinguin embarked on a mission to capture and destroy as many allied merchant ships as possible. Between June 1940 and May 1941 the Pinguin’s Captain Kruder was responsible for one of the most successful operations by any German raider in World War II (Boyle: 112). Travelling…
The City of Rayville sits in 72 meters and is only dived by experienced Trimix Divers .One of the first divers to visit the wreck were IANTD Instructors Barry Heard and Bob Wealthy.
There has been a long history of sea dumping in Bass Strait, which is the discarding of material into the ocean from vessels, platforms or aircraft. Since European settlement, the following have been dumped in Bass Strait: chemical and industrial waste; defence waste (ammunition, etc); dredge spoil; human bodies (burial at sea); and obsolete vessels….
“Six Men Lose Their Lives in Carrier Accident” screamed the headlines from the Argus on Monday July 21 1947. A tragic set of events during formation flying manoeuvres over Port Phillip Bay by a visiting flying squadron from HMS Theseus resulted in a horrific accident that claimed many young airmen. The planes were flying in…