Pirates & Shipwrecks · Passenger steamship, 1911
SS Yongala
Off Cape Bowling Green, near Townsville, Queensland, Australia
What happened
SS Yongala was a large passenger steamship that sailed along the Australian coast. In March 1911, it left Mackay heading for Townsville and sailed into a cyclone. It never arrived, and no one aboard survived.
Why it matters
It is one of Australia's worst shipwreck disasters. The wreck is now protected and is one of the world's most famous wreck dives, home to many kinds of sea life.
What came next
The wreck was found in 1958, 47 years after it sank, lying on its side about 30 metres deep. Divers need a permit to visit, and taking objects from it is forbidden.
Did you know?
The body of a racehorse named Moonshine, which was aboard the ship, later washed ashore at Gordon Creek.
Timeline
- 1903Yongala is built in England for the Adelaide Steamship Company.
- 23 March 1911Yongala leaves Mackay and sails into a cyclone.
- 24 March 1911The ship fails to arrive in Townsville.
- 1947A navy survey ship reports an obstruction on the seabed.
- 1958The wreck is found.