Blackwall Reach
Black Wall Reach has always been a popular dive site with Perth divers. It offers numerous wrecks of differing types, as well as an interesting dumping ground at the base of the cliffs that include a number of automobiles and other curiosities. The sites are spread out over a large area amongst the moorings, with the biggest, most accessible attraction being the Black Wall Reach Barge located beneath mooring 716. The barge site presents the largest intact wreck found in the river, it is easy to locate, it is accessible via shore entry and has always been a magnet for marine life, it offers a great site at a great depth and it is always full of surprises.
Shore entry along the cliffs poses the biggest difficulty when trying to access the more distant wrecks at Black Wall Reach. Shore access to the water is only available at either end of the cliff face. The entry at the northern end is only possible after a long walk through the bush tracks from its nearest car park and it is only for the keen. The easiest and preferred shore entry is at the grassed area on Jelanup Beach (Palm Tree beach) located at the end of Kent Street on Blackwall Reach Parade. The information we've covered here only relates specifically to the wrecks of the area that have been personally verified and located through sidescan searches and are mostly dived from boats.
We do include bearings for surface swims on some sites, this is to make it easier to locate the wrecks for shore-based divers, although with the long distances involved and regular boat traffic it is generally not recommended. The information given is purely just to provide details on the wrecks and to assist in planning dives in the area. Poles trails have been put in place by technical divers to provide navigation around the various sites, these span the entire length of Blackwall Reach and even cross the ferry channel to Chidley Point. Those utilising the pole trails should seek more information, research the trails and be prepared that the tails may at times be in disrepair. Divers on the trails should be adequately prepared with equipment and training for extended bottom times and have equipment to mitigate the risks of being forced to surface amongst boat traffic.
Getting there
The best place to access the sites by shore entry is Jelanup Beach or Palm Tree beach as it is listed on Google maps. The beach provides an easy entry to the water with parking close by and a large grassed area with plenty of room for kitting up, briefing and debriefing. The park does get busy on weekends with paddlers and other river users. Jelanup Beach is located at the northern end of Blackwall Reach Parade near the intersection at Kent Street.
If arriving by boat there are three nearby boat ramps, Point Walter and Freshwater Bay boat ramps are the two closest ramps, then downstream is Leeuwin boat ramp near East St.
History of Black Wall Reach
Blackwall Reach acquired its western name from being in reference to Blackwall Reach in the River Thames, it was however named Jelanup to the first nations people. It was the traditional lands the Beeliar family group belonging to the Whadjuk Noongar nation of Southwestern Australia. Jelanup is a sacred womens place where only women and children would walk the banks of Derbarl Yerrigan (the Swan River). It is referenced that the white sands at Jelanup beach, where the shore entry point is, was a birthing place used by Whadjuk Noongar women and it should be respected as such when visiting.
www.melvillecity.com.au/our-city/publications-and-forms/community-development/sites-of-aboriginal-cultural-significance
Trove.nla.gov.au references a number of vessel collisions, sinkings and fatalities since the colonialisation of the Swan River however, none of these incidents seem to be associated with any sites currently known or discovered in the area. These sites are likely lost in the main channel and are either deteriorated, buried or were salvaged. Photographs from the Battye library show the area free of moorings in the 1960's and determining that most wrecks in the area likely sunk on their moorings, they are unlikely of any historical significance to date. Photographs from the 1970's show a film crew on the Blackwall cliffs filming an advertisement where it was claimed a car was sent plunging off the cliffs, it is uncertain if this is associated with the dumping ground sites, it was also stated that the car was recovered by tow truck. How this was achieved over the edge of the cliff and in 8 metres of water is difficult to imagine. Sadly, there have been a number of fatalities recorded at Blackwall Cliffs, some from questionable circumstances and most recently through misadventure while jumping off the cliffs, which is a popular activity for locals. In 2021 a Perth man, a father of two, suffered serious wounds after an incident with a suspected 3 metre bull shark while swimming off the entry point beach. Strangely, the cliffs area has been a popular dumping ground over the years with cars, motorbikes and bicycles at the base of the cliffs and anecdotal stories of guns and crime related paraphernalia being observed by divers over the years.
The cliffs of Blackwall Reach, ca.1910
slwa.wa.gov.au
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Daily News (Perth WA 1882 - 1955), Monday 3 January 1955, page 3
The Swan River at Bicton, 1920.
SLWA.wa.gov.au
maawa.net divers inspecting the Point Walter South wreck
Diving the site
Like most of the river sites, don't expect excellent visibility. Visibility can be as low as half a metre or as good as five to six metres. But dont be put off by low visibility, the river can offer great all-weather diving when ocean conditions do not suit. It offers a different and varied ecosystem that, in many ways, is richer than what can be experienced in blue water diving. Seahorses are regularly seen on the barge site and amongst the pole trails, as are mouth brooding cardinal fish, frogfish have been regularly sighted, and the river is home to a variety of juvenile oceanic species. Crabs are usually a plenty and it's pretty awesome to occasionally get buzzed by cormorants swimming around down at 15 metres. Blackwall Reach has always been a site to thow out an unusual occurrence of marine life. Although rare, large 20kg Samson fish have been observed on the barge as well as Mulloway and Pink Snapper. News articles from the 1950's claim that one year, with little rain, crayfish were a regular catch in drop nets off the cliffs.
The maximum depth of the deepest sites are around 17 to 18 metres making it accessible to all open water divers. It is recommended to dream small at Blackwall, visit the barge site and the cars first and eventually progress out on subsequent dives and explore other areas if you find it attractive as a diver. Remember the site is an active area especially on weekends and expect traffic from small vessels and paddlers. Be sure to carry a dive flag and make yourself visible not only while underwater but also if completing surface swims. It is around a 200 metre surface swim to the barge site from Jelanup Beach.
If diving by boat be aware of anchoring near the moored boats. It can be easiest to anchor near the cliffs and mark a wreck with a personal float flag as well as the mandatory full-size alpha flag on the boat, then swim towards the wreck. The northern wrecks are within a suitable distance from two red courtesy moorings that can be used by the public. The site can be popular with dinghys for crabbing, also be aware of the proximity to moored vessels obscuring your dive flag, this reinforces the preference for an additional float flag as a marker for marking the site of the wreck which you choose to dive.
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Hippocampus Subelongatus - West Australian Seahorse found on the Blackwall Boat 2 site
2016 site drawing of the Blackwall Barge site. divingwawrecks.com
A diver inspects the Cruiser 1 site
Diving conditions
Conditions in the Swan River are always a little more forgiving due to the enclosed nature of the river, Blackwall though does cop it a bit in a strong southerly or southwest seabreeze. In these winds the wind effect on the waves is funneled towards the cliffs as it has a bit of fetch up the river from Bicton. This shouldn't really affect underwater conditions, but it can make surfacing or surface swimming uncomfortable and possibly decrease visibility nearer the cliffs in shallower water.
Tidal flow or currents can be quite strong on the sites depending on the tide height and whether the tide is incoming or outgoing. As the Swan River snakes through the landscape, the tidal flow increases and scours at the wider extremities of the river. Blackwall Reach is a perfect example of this and the site experiences greater currents than other river sites like the Coombe and Mosman Bay. Larger tides around the full and new moons will make transiting between sites more strenuous and will generally decrease visibility as more flow on the riverbed increases the turbidity of the water. Currents along the cliffs travel south to north on an incoming tide, and north to south on an outgoing tide. Tides should be checked before diving and can even be exploited depending on the direction of the dive, it can also be favourable to choose to dive the tide change for less current. The river is a very dynamic place for trying to predict good visibility, you would expect the top of the incoming tide progressively after the neap day (smallest tide day) to be bringing in clean water with weaker currents to give good vis, but there are a lot of things at play... best just to get out and do it and find out. Usually, the shallower sites like the cars give the best vis, as with the deeper the sites less natural light penetrates to the riverbed. If the vis is poor, exploring the dump site and the rocks and shallows at the base of the cliffs can show up flat worms and the occasional octopus.
The Wrecks
The wrecks are listed from south to north from the Jelanup Beach entry point. Very little is known of the origins of the wrecks however they are likely all cases of vessel abandonment, most likely neglected in the last few decades to the point of sinking on their moorings. They vary in their construction from steel, aluminium, fibreglass and wood. Most of the wrecks seem to be motorised cruisers, two don't feature motors but seem to have aluminium fuel tanks, perhaps pointing towards deliberate scuttling. Only one site has its origin known and that is the barge site, the barge was deliberately scuttled with permission in 1967. One wreck on the southern bank of Point Walter was lost far from any associated mooring and is possibly a foundered vessel or a scuttled dumping due to the lack of ground tackle and boat fittings.
Blackwall Reach Barge
Position: S 32° 01.165' E 115° 47.042'
Nearest Mooring: 716 - wreck @ 210° 2 metres
Bearing at entry point to mooring: 033° 176 metres
Bearing at entry point to wreck: 033° 155 metres
Construction: Steel
Dimensions: 21.1 x 8.3 metres
Depth: 14 metres
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The Blackwall Reach Barge is the largest and most intact wreck in the river, it is one of the very few river sites where the origin of the wreck is known. The barge was sunk in 1967 after permission was sought by the Goldfields Metal Mining Company to sink the barge in the deep water off Blackwall Reach. Sitting upright at 14 metres it is the most accessible and interesting site in the area, it can be a great place to find seahorses and if you slow down and look closely it is usually abundant with marine life.
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The wreck is very easy to find if descending down mooring 716, it sits almost directly at the mooring anchor point, just 2 metres to the south, and the wreck rises 1.5m off the riverbed.
Dump site
General position: S 32° 01.155' E 115° 47.050'
Nearest Mooring: 716 - site @ 065° 35 metres
Bearing at entry point to mooring: 033° 175 metres
Bearing at entry point to site: 040° 210 metres
Construction: Various cars, motorbikes, bicycles and random junk.
Approximate site dimensions: 50 metres by 25 metres
Depth: 5 - 9 metres
Located beneath the lookout on the Blackwall Reach Walk trail and about 35 metres northeast of the Blackwall Reach Barge is an unusual dumping ground. Over the decades numerous bicycles, cars and motorbikes have been driven off the cliffs by the people of Perth into the deep water. Their discarded possessions have become part of the riverbed and havens for small fish and juvenile marine life.
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The depth of the site varys from about 4 metres at the base of the cliffs and continues down on a steep slope to around 10 metres where the wreckage seems to become less concentrated. Scattered throughout the area are around three cars of unknown make and origin, they are however very small cars and give little clues to their origin but, are likely built in the 60's. Photographs in the state library archives depict the filming of an advertisement on the cliffs in 1970, the notes mention a car was "plunged off the cliffs" for the advertisement, although it also states it was recovered by a tow truck. Besides the cars are suitcases, bicycles, motorbikes there are various other unusual oddities. The area is easily located, and the remains are clustered somewhat close to each other. If you've stopped seeing things for the last 20 metres underwater turn back and keep exploring back the way you came as you've likely left the area.
Blackwall Reach Cruiser 1
Wreck position: S 32° 01.102' E 115° 47.050'
Nearest Mooring: 666, S 32° 01.096' E 115° 47.055'
wreck @ 210° 14 metres from mooring
Entry Point: 1 (Beach Blackwall Reach Parade)
Bearing at entry point to mooring: 020° 285 metres
Bearing to to wreck: 020° 271 metres
(Bearing from Barge site to cruiser 005° 116m, by pole trail)
Construction: Metal (possibly plate aluminium)
Dimensions: 7.2 x 2.8 metres
Depth: 15 metres
The Blackwall Reach Cruiser 1 site is one of the larger boat wrecks compared to the other wrecks in the mooring area. It seems to be of a metal construction, possibly aluminium. The wreck is still largely intact after being submerged for atleast a decade. In 2015 the rear deck of the cruiser was covered by the framework of a full deck length awning, this is now no longer a feature of the wreck, it doesn't seem to have collapsed onto the wreck and may be located nearby.
The cruiser is easily located underwater, it sits 116 metres northwest of the barge site. From the northern end of the barge, a pole trail leads 15 metres to a boat hull associated with the barge site, then the pole trail continues into deeper water and connects to the Cruiser 1 site. Just before arriving at the cruiser there is a "T" intersection, continue straight to get to the cruiser, the left trail takes divers into open water and into the ferry channel and should be avoided.
Blackwall Boat 1
Position: S 32° 00.080'
E 115° 47.104'
Nearest Mooring: 774
S 32° 00.967' E 115° 47.092'
wreck @ 210° 20 metres from mooring
Construction: Fibreglass
Dimensions: 4 x 1.5 metres
Depth: 14 metres
A small sunken dinghy sitting upright and rising about 30cm above the riverbed, not a very interesting site with not a lot of life. As a shore dive, it's a long walk and swim in dive gear for little reward.
Blackwall Reach Cruiser 2 -
Porthole Cruiser
Position: S 32° 00.957' E 115° 47.087'
Nearest Mooring: Red Courtesy Mooring
S 32° 00.967' E 115° 47.092'
wreck @ 340° 18 metres from mooring
Construction: Wood
Dimensions: 9 x 2.5 metres
Depth: 17.5 metres
​The large wooden Cabin Cruiser sits upright on the riverbed in 17 metres at the northern end of Blackwall Reach. The wreck is a difficult wreck to dive from a shore-based entry point, with a very long walk with gear to access the northern beach. For open water divers it is best dived from a boat which is convenient due to the nearest mooring being a red public access mooring. The vessel was first publicised online by divers in 2016 and the portholes at the front of the cabin were soon taken from the site. The wreck has never really been observed to have good vis, possibly due to being one of the deeper wrecks and near the main channel flow. Despite this, the wreck is of an impressive size and condition making it an interesting dive. Although entering the cabin is hazardous and not reccomended, there are still dishes stacked near a sink inside the cabin, perhaps implying that the vessel had sunk unexpectedly, likely on a mooring while unattended. Around 50 metres to the southeast of the wreck is the Blackwall Boat 2 site. A pole trail should connect the two sites and carry on to a nearby dinghy.
Blackwall Boat 2
Position: S 32° 00.962' E 115° 47.110'
Nearest Mooring: Red Courtesy Mooring
S 32° 00.967' E 115° 47.092'
wreck @ 105° 130 metres from mooring
Construction: Wood
Dimensions: 10.9 x 2 metres
Depth: 15 metres
The boat 2 site is a difficult site to try and identify, it was always refered to as the Blackwall Reach Yacht, although there is no evidence of masts, sails or any hull fittings or design that would indicate it being a yacht. The site has what seems to be two aluminium fuel tanks however, there is no motor or evidence of a shaft on the wreck either. The wooden hull is very deteriorated and seems to have galvanised hull fittings showing it has likely been down a long time but it is still a somewhat modern vessel. The site is quite interesting and always seems to have more light and visibility compared to the Porthole Cruiser which is only around 50 metres down the slight slope. There is a pole trail leading west from the bow of the site, it is assumed this would run to the Porthole Cruiser. Midway along the wreck, near the northern tank, another pole trail leads only a few metres away to a small upturned aluminum tinny
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The Blackwall Boat 3
The Tower of Power
Position: S 32° 00.879' E 115° 47.105'
Nearest Mooring: No nearby moorings​
Construction: Fibreglass
Dimensions: 5 x 2 metres
Depth: 7 metres
A small fibreglass cuddy cabin trailer boat from the 70's that looks possibly like a Glasscraft of Bellboy design. The boat has sunk down almost to its gunwales on the port side and has lost it's windscreen. Being located in only 7 metres of water it is a site that has pretty clear water although, being only 5 metres in length, it is a very short visit. One of the more interesting features of this wreck is the outboard engine. The cowling is no longer covering the engine, and the distinctive inline six-cylinder configuration gives away it's make as a Mercury engine produced between 1968 and 1988 affectionately known by it's owners as the "tower of power". Only Mercury engines produced two strokes in an inline 6 configuration giving the engine an unusually high profile. This little 5 metre boat would've had some legs!​
A pole trail extends from the bow of the hull running west. It has not been confirmed personally by the author where it connects or leads to other pole trails.
Point Walter boat
Position: S 32° 00.684' E 115° 47.771'
Nearest Mooring: No nearby moorings​
Construction: Wood
Dimensions: <10 metres x 2 metres
Depth: 10 metres
The Point Walter South Wreck is a long way out from Blackwall Reach and is only accessible by boat. Unfortunately, it sits right under the preferred track for the Swan River ferries travelling upstream past Chidley Point and around Point Walter. It is probably not advised to dive the site by boat in the middle of the working channel which makes it a difficult site to visit.
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The wreck sits in 10 metres of water, it's length has not been recorded, and it is heavily deteriorated. It has a large modern engine in the centre of the wreck but not much else. Due to it's isolation it may have been lost through misadventure in the channel, or it may have been a deliberate scuttling.
