A 120-year-old mystery surrounding the disappearance of a coal ship off the coast of New South Wales has been solved after a commercial company searching for lost cargo accidentally discovered the wreckage of a coal ship on the seabed.
The SS Nemesis and its crew of 32, which included Australian, British and Canadian members, set out from Newcastle on 9 July 1904, loaded with coal.
The 73-metre long ship was originally bound for Melbourne but never arrived.
The ship was last seen in rough seas near the town of Wollongong, south of Sydney, where it was spotted by another ship also caught in the storm.
Over the following weeks, the bodies of the crew washed up on Cronulla Beach along with fragments of the ship’s steering wheel, doors and other debris.
Despite the media uproar and intense public interest, the ship was never discovered.
Then, in 2022, Undersea Specialty Marine Services, a remote sensing company, accidentally discovered the sunken ship while searching for a missing container off the coast of Sydney.
It was found 26 kilometers offshore and 160m underwater. The iron remains of the ship stood upright in the sand. Its bow and stern were severely damaged.
New South Wales heritage experts’ initial hunch was that it was the SS Nemesis, but given the depth of the wreck, it was difficult for them to verify its identity.
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) then stepped in to capture underwater images, which were compared with historical photos and sketches of the SS Nemesis, confirming the vessel’s unique features.
The investigation also revealed how the ship sank: Researchers believe its engines were overwhelmed by the storm. When it was struck by a large wave, it sank so fast that lifeboats had no time to deploy.
Ed Cobb, managing director of Subsea Specialty Marine Services, which has a history of seafloor discoveries, said his team overcame several obstacles in the initial search.
“It is an absolute honor to discover this wreck, which will ultimately bring some comfort to the families of the missing crew members,” Cobb said.
New South Wales Environment and Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said about 40 children lost their parents in the accident.
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“I hope this discovery brings relief to family and friends who were connected to the ship and never learned of its fate,” she said.
Wollongong local MP Paul Scully said there are believed to be more than 200 shipwrecks off the New South Wales coast, of which only 105 have been found, and praised the importance of the ongoing search efforts.
CSIRO navigation manager Jason Fazey said subsequent investigations created high-resolution maps of the entire wreck to help identify the ship’s features.
“Our technical team aboard the CSIRO research vessel RV Investigator did an excellent job mapping the entire site and using our underwater photography system to capture a very clear view of the wreck,” he said.
“Using RV Investigator’s advanced multi-beam echosounder, we were able to create high-resolution maps of the entire wreck and measure key dimensions to aid identification.
“Everyone on board is honored to contribute to this project and assist Heritage NSW’s maritime archeology experts in successfully identifying the SS Nemesis to help end another maritime tragedy for our nation.”
“Every Australian should be heartened by the curiosity and perseverance our scientists have shown in this project,” said Ed Husik, Australia’s federal science minister.
“I admire their determination to solve a century-old mystery, once again demonstrating the value of collaboration and backing this up with the latest expertise,” Husik said.
