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Since the first Europeans visited the west coast of Australia in the 17th century, Rottnest Island has seen numerous shipwrecks. The 11-kilometre (6.8 mi) long and 4.5-kilometre (2.8 mi) wide island is surrounded by hidden and partly exposed reefs whilst being buffeted by north-westerly winter gales as well as very strong south-west summer sea 'breezes'. It is situated 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) west of the port of Fremantle meaning that much of the maritime traffic to Western Australia's major port passes close by.
Governor King was a 38-ton schooner built in 1803 by James Underwood, Sydney, Australia and was wrecked in April 1806.
Charlotte was a sloop sunk in 1808 off the coast of New South Wales, Australia.
The Australian Heritage Database is a listing of heritage sites in Australia. It is maintained by the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (Australia), in consultation with Australian Heritage Council. There are more than twenty thousand entries in the database, which includes natural, historic and Indigenous places.
Wendouree was a steel steamship built as a collier by S & H Morton & Co., Leith, Scotland for Huddart Parker & Co. Pty. Ltd. She was later refitted to carry passengers for the Melbourne to Sydney run.
SS Lindus was an Australian iron-hulled coastal cargo ship driven by a 160 H.P. 2-cylinder compound steam engine with a top cruising speed of 10 knots. She was built in 1881 by Edward Withy & Co., Hartlepool, England. Her engines were built by T. Richardson & Sons, Hartlepool. She had a complement of 24 crewmembers.
The Ability was a wooden Steamer coastal transport cargo ship of 140 tons, owned by Parsons, R & Plunkett. Ship was scuttled and abandoned off Newcastle, New South Wales on 3 June 1960 or off Sydney on 3 April 1965.
The Acme was a wooden top sail schooner that was driven ashore at Seal Rocks, New South Wales while carrying timber from Camden Haven to Sydney under the command of Captain James Henry Jackson on the 15 July 1876. There were no casualties.
Active was a wooden ketch that was wrecked on 19 January 1898 on the Oyster Bank at the entrance of Newcastle Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, near the previously wrecked schooner Colonist while carrying a cargo of ironbark to Morpeth, New South Wales, under the command of Captain P. Williams. There were no casualties but the ship was lost. The wreck has not been located, but the approximate co-ordinates of the shipwreck are 32.92°S 151.79°E.
Adelaide was a wooden cutter used in the cedar trade that was wrecked and lost off the Hawkesbury River in Broken Bay, New South Wales, in July 1837 while carrying a load of cedar. The wreck has not been located, but a vessel of its description was reported capsized between Cabbage Tree Bay and Bird Island at approximately 33.6°S 151.3°E.
Adelaide was a wooden schooner that was lost after leaving Newcastle, New South Wales carrying a load of coal on a voyage to Gisborne, New Zealand in May 1898. There were two deaths.
The Adolphus was a wooden brigantine that was wrecked on the rocks west of Pier Head at Wollongong harbour in New South Wales on 29 November 1866. The ship was carrying coal from Wollongong to Sydney under the command of Captain William Kean. There were no casualties, but the vessel was lost. The wreck has not been located, but the approximate coordinates are 34.4189°S 150.9071°E.
The Advance was a diesel powered wooden carvel schooner built in 1903 at Kaipara, that was wrecked at Wreck Bay, New South Wales in 1915. The wreck has not been located, but the approximate coordinates are 35.19°S 150.65°E.
Advance was a screw steamer that was wrecked when she sprang a leak whilst carrying tea-tree saplings between Taree, New South Wales and Coopernook. She was lost on the Manning River, New South Wales on June 17, 1933.
The Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 is an Australian Act of Parliament designed to legally protect historic shipwrecks and any relics or artifacts from those wrecks. The Act automatically affects all shipwrecks that meet the 'historic' criteria and are in Australian Commonwealth waters : complementary state and territory legislation protects shipwrecks in state and territory waters including rivers and bays. Of the estimated 8,000 shipwrecks in Australian waters, more than 6,500 are protected under this legislation.
Grecian was a sailing ship built in England in 1824. She was wrecked on Nine Mile Beach, New South Wales during a gale on 30 April 1864. Captain Grant lost his life.
SS Colonist was a British iron-hulled coastal cargo ship driven by a 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine. She was built in 1889 by Osbourne, Graham & Co. Ltd, North Hylton, England. She had a complement of 29 crewmembers.
