The shores north of the Swan River mouth to Seabird are littered with wrecks both found and undiscovered, the first known wreck in the area was likely the small boat from the Goode Hope that was lost over three centuries ago in 1656. The Goode Hope's boat was lost in the surf with it's 11 occupants while searching the shoreline for survivors of the Vergulde Draeck, a dutch VOC wreck that was lost on the coast near Ledge Point the same year. Just north of the Fremantle Harbour seawall sits the popular wreck of the North Mole Barge and searching the surrounding seafloor of the harbour limits often reveals numerous burnt timbers, broken glass and piping of scuttled wrecks of a far gone era. Stretching north offshore from Trigg Beach all the way up the coast lays a chain of shallow breaking limestone reef that has claimed numerous vessels. The earliest being the 1842 wreck of the Eglington off Quinns Rocks that was lost in the very early days of the Swan River Colony to the most recent being the Two Fold Bay, a northwest trawler that also came to grief in 1997 in the same vicinity as the Eglington.
From scuttled barges, colonial barques, modern day fishing boats and even a legendary ghost ship, the north coast of Perth provides some great wreck diving sites ranging from deep dives at 30 metres to the shallowest in only a few metres below the surface, follow the links below for details on the wreck sites that provide the best diving opportunities for the area.
One of Perth's most popular shore dive sites, the North Mole Barge can now be easily located due to the installation of a pole trail by local divers. The iron framed barge of unknown identity was likely scuttled outside the harbour while on it's way to the Rottnest graveyard. When the harbour seawall was expanded in the late 80's, due to it's popularity as a local dive site, the wreck was raised and placed down in it's present location to preserve the site as a local diving attraction.
Located in the Marmion Marine Park and two miles offshore from North Beach the 1874 wreck site is only a few minutes from the nearest boat ramp at Hillarys Marina. The site is best dived in very low swell and the adjacent reef system is always teeming with marine life. On the site lays the broken wreckage of the ship, galena ore and a museum plinth.
One of the deeper sites on the north metro coast is the 1905 scuttled hull of the Conference sitting at a depth of 18 metres on a broken limestone reef seafloor. Originally a iron hulled barque, the confrence was converted to a hulk until it was no longer of service to it's owners and the hulk was scuttled almost 3 nautical miles north west of the present day Mindarie Marina.
The oldest wreck site on the Perth north metro coast, the Eglinton was wrecked in 1852 on Pamela Shoal around 4 nautical miles north of Mindarie marina. Typical with most timber sailing ships there is no vessel wreckage left on the small site, all that remains are sections of concreted bricks, gravel ballast scatters and areas of broken glass and china scattered in the various caves and holes over the shallow reef system.
The most recent shipwreck off the Metropolitain coast
the Two Fold Bay was a fishing trawler that sunk in 1997 in the same area as the Conference and Eglington. The site is always best dived in low swell as visibilty can be average on the site but it is easily accessible just 3 nautical miles from the Mindarie Marina boat ramp.
Arguably the most exciting dive off the north metro area. The scuttled barge was sunk in 1993 at a depth of 30 metres for SCUBA divers as a training site. A trip of around 9 miles from the nearest boat ramp at Mindaire Marina is often worth the drive when conditions suit. Often when the coastal waters are in a state of poor visibility a trip to the Gemini can be the saving grace for a good day of diving from the northern marinas.
The haunted wreck of the Alkimos, a World War II Liberty Ship. From stories of workmen sealed inside the hull, murder onboard and ghostly apiritions in the night. The now collapsed site of the Alkimos sits in a few metres of water just off the Shorehaven development north of Quinns Rocks.
Image: Stanley Perkins Collection The Alkimos in 1963
One of only a small number of 4 masted barques wrecked on the Western Australian coast. The large sailing ship, Ville De Rouen offers a great dive off the Perth coast north of Two Rocks and due west of Guilderton. Large mast sections, deck winches and sections of the vessel stretch for almost 90 metres across the reef top at a depth of 9 to 5 metres. The vessel was enroute to Fremantle when it was lost in 1901 in poor conditions
In the pipeline:
Tanais Barge (Cement Barge)- Two Rocks
Linda - Two Rocks