SS Coogee Diving

The national record identifies Coogee in the Ships’ Graveyard outside Port Phillip Heads. SS Coogee is retained as the dive-site name used in the government discovery material. Lancashire Witch was its earlier vessel name, and HMAS Coogee refers to its naval service; these names do not create separate Atlas destinations.

This is an offshore boat-dive destination. Confirm the intended wreck, departure arrangements and current operating requirements with the skipper or dive provider. A locality marker does not establish a usable mooring, vessel route or landing place.

The government dive sheet and national record describe coherent bow and stern sections with much of the middle collapsed. Large boilers remain amidships, while railings and steering equipment help explain the vessel’s former shape. The engine was removed before scuttling. Published descriptions record a limestone and sand seabed; surviving details and marine growth may change over time.

The official dive sheet places the bow on sand at 33 m and the stern at 35 m. The national record also describes surrounding seabed at 32–35 m. These are historical seabed measurements, not a 33–35 m range for every part of a dive. An undated inspection records stern wreckage rising 8 m above the bottom, but that height is not used to calculate a current wreck-top depth. No independently measured hull/deck depth or whole-site maximum is established.

Built at Sunderland in 1887 as Lancashire Witch, the steamer was purchased by Huddart Parker for Victorian service and became Coogee. It carried passengers and cargo between Melbourne, Geelong and Launceston. A serious collision in 1903 damaged the upper works, but the vessel was repaired and returned to service. Coogee later served as a wartime minesweeper and was used for Bass Strait cable repair. Sold for scrap in 1927, it was stripped and scuttled in the Ships’ Graveyard in February 1928. The damaged middle, remaining boilers and recognisable ends reflect that final dismantling and scuttling history.

Offshore weather, swell, surge and boat recovery are relevant here. Current Weather describes atmospheric observations near the locality; it does not measure underwater visibility, currents or sea state. No tide timetable, drop time or current threshold is supplied.

Historic wreck protection and a designated no-entry protected zone are different things. Heritage Victoria’s current list of ten protected zones does not include this wreck. Its guidance requires a permit for entering a protected zone, and for recovering artefacts or disturbing a wreck. Leave structures and objects in place and check the current rules for the intended area.

Discuss the planned depth, offshore conditions and experience needed with the dive provider. A nickname or published depth does not establish suitability for an individual diver. Openings in a wreck do not imply a suitable entry route; this guide provides no penetration instructions. Review current marine notices before the trip.