Extreme Watersport Dive Atlas · VIC-044
Eliza Ramsden Diving
The remains of an iron sailing ship lost in Port Phillip in 1875. Eliza Ramsden has its own Victorian heritage record; its South Channel setting makes vessel access rules central to any visit.
Current status
An identified wreck with conditional access
Heritage Victoria records Eliza Ramsden in the South Channel. Harbour Master’s Directions distinguish charter diving under specified conditions from private recreational diving in designated channels, which requires written Harbour Master permission. This page does not establish permission for a vessel or a particular dive.
Quick dive brief
The place, at a glance
- Site type
- Historic iron sailing-ship wreck
- Locality
- South Channel · Port Phillip
- Published depth context
- Current dive depth not independently verified
Locality map
General named site locality
Approximate Eliza Ramsden wreck locality
The marker represents the wreck’s approximate locality from a historical Heritage Victoria GPS table. The original position has limited precision.
- Approximate Eliza Ramsden wreck locality
- Interactive basemap context
Heritage Victoria · archived discovery-trail GPS table opens in a new tab
Locality context only — not a boat drop, mooring or navigation aid. · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Locality
The South Channel wreck
The Victorian Heritage Database identifies this wreck as Eliza Ramsden, record S220, in Port Phillip’s South Channel. This is the canonical identity used here. The map uses the approximate historical wreck locality published by Heritage Victoria.
Sources: Victorian Heritage Database
Boat access
Access by boat, subject to channel rules
This is an offshore wreck context, not a shore-entry site. The current Harbour Master’s Directions set conditions for charter diving in the Heads and South Channel. Private recreational diving in designated shipping channels and fairways needs written Harbour Master permission. Charter access is also conditional, not a general exemption. No public mooring is verified here.
Sources: Victorian Heritage Database · Ports Victoria
Site character
An iron sailing ship’s remains
The official heritage record identifies an iron barque and highlights the surviving clipper bow and the wreck’s archaeological and educational significance. This is a heritage description, not a recent inspection of structural condition.
Sources: Victorian Heritage Database
Depth
Current depth remains unverified
A defensible current dive-depth profile was not established from the official record. Its listed ship dimensions describe the original vessel, not the depth of water over the wreck. Legacy dive-directory ranges are withheld; no top, deck or seabed depth is assigned.
Sources: Victorian Heritage Database
Conditions
A working shipping-channel setting
Eliza Ramsden
Current Weather
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- Wind
- — · — Gust unavailable
- Rain
- —Precipitation
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Timestamped atmospheric weather near this site. Offshore water movement, swell, visibility and dive conditions can differ and are not measured here.
Vessel movements and channel controls are material to access. The current directions contain separate rules for charter, private and night diving. This guide links those rules without converting them into skipper instructions or a dive window.
Sources: Ports Victoria
Community observations
Recent Diver Reports
Visibility, water temperature and small details from recent dives.
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Reviewed observations from individual dives—not live sensor data or dive-suitability assessments.
Protection
Historic wreck protection
Heritage Victoria explains that historic shipwrecks over 75 years old in Victorian waters are protected. Port Phillip is covered by Victorian heritage legislation. Protection of a wreck and designation of a permit-controlled protected zone are different matters; this page does not infer unrestricted access from the absence of a zone listing.
Sources: Heritage Victoria
History
Built in 1874, lost in 1875
The official record dates construction to 1874 at Whiteinch, Glasgow, and the loss to 24 July 1875. It describes grounding at Corsair Rock before the vessel sank in the South Channel.
Sources: Victorian Heritage Database
Planning
Resolve access before planning the dive
Review current marine notices and the relevant park or heritage rules before arranging a trip. Confirm the site and access arrangements with the skipper or dive provider. Published depth describes a feature; it does not establish suitability for a particular diver or the conditions on the day.
Sources: Ports Victoria · Ports Victoria · Heritage Victoria
FAQ
Questions about this site
Which heritage record identifies Eliza Ramsden?
The Victorian Heritage Database lists Eliza Ramsden as shipwreck record S220, in the South Channel of Port Phillip.
Can a private boat simply arrange a dive here?
This guide establishes no such permission. Private recreational diving in designated shipping channels requires written Harbour Master permission; charter diving has separate conditions.
How deep is the wreck?
A current, independently supported dive-depth profile was not established. The dimensions in the heritage record are vessel dimensions, not water depth.
Is the wreck protected?
Yes. It is a nineteenth-century historic wreck in Victorian waters. Heritage protection and vessel-access permission are separate considerations.
Change log
Source review · 8 September 2026
Initial guide prepared from the sources below. Current operational arrangements require separate confirmation.
Evidence & boundaries
Sources & page limits
This is a source-led guide, checked on 8 September 2026. Official publications support the site context below; this page is not a live access clearance or a navigation aid. No Extreme Watersport field photographs or recent site survey have been added. Current observations, mooring availability and local conditions need separate confirmation.