SS Blackbird shipwreck

SS Blackbird (1863-1878)

Shipwreck Discovery Trail

SS Blackbird was a mid-19th century steamship initially designed to carry cargo and passengers but later converted to carry coal. It was built in Newcastle on Tyne.

As a new ship, Blackbird made several journeys to New Zealand. Later, it carried cargo to east coast ports of Australia including Rockhampton. For a short period it was also used to ferry passengers and cargo between Adelaide and Melbourne.

The growth of Melbourne and development of its industry created a need for coal to power machinery. Victoria's existing coal fields at Kilcunda and Cape Patterson could not cope with the increasing demand for coal and authorities turned to Newcastle as an alternative source.

Newcastle had abundant coal reserves and good facilities for ships. From 1874 until 1878, when the vessel was wrecked, SS Blackbird regularly made the journey to Newcastle to be loaded with coal bound for Melbourne.

The final voyage of Blackbird

On June 2, 1878, Blackbird was returning to Melbourne with a cargo of 800 tons of coal, three passengers and 26 crew. The weather was windy with heavy squalls of rain blowing from the south. Captain McConachy, who was in charge of the ship, mistook the Latrobe lighthouse inside the entrance to Port Albert for the Wilsons Promontory lighthouse. Blackbird hit a sandbar and the captain threw the engines into reverse at full speed to back the vessel into deeper water. He then ordered the crew to set sail and steered north to avoid a reef. However, Blackbird was heading straight towards the beach on Clonmel Island. The engines were once again thrown into reverse, but the steamer struck the beach and swung side on into the breakers.

The Port Albert townsfolk soon became aware of the disaster and a whale boat was launched to rescue the crew and passengers. Four crew were collected from Blackbird and ten others, who had jumped and swam to Clonmel Island, were rescued from the beach. Meanwhile the captain and remaining crew and passengers had launched the ship's lifeboat and were rowing west. The whale boat eventually met up with the lifeboat and its weary passengers at Rabbit Island and returned them to saftey at Port Albert pier.

Captain McConachy suggested that a heavy current together with error in the compasses was the cause of the disaster. However the Marine Court of Inquiry was not convinced. The captain was charged with reckless navigation and had his license suspended for twelve months. The first mate also had his license suspended for three months.

Ship construction

Blackbird was a three masted iron screw steamer and was fitted with a twin cylinder inverted engine capable of generating 80 HP. The engine was also equipped with a surface condenser which enabled steam to be reused. This type of engine was universally adopted by merchant services in the 1870s.

When Blackbird began its coal run between Newcastle and Melbourne, the ship was fitted with special coal handling machinery such as loading chutes, derricks, boilers and winches. There was still room however, to carry a few paying passengers.

The ship measured 196ft (59.75m) in length, 28.2ft (8.59m) in breadth, had a depth of 16.7ft (5.09m) and a gross tonnage of 665 tons.

Relics from the wreck of SS Blackbird

The Port Albert Museum has a collection of relics salvaged from Blackbird. The museum also has on display Heritage Victoria's exhibition 'PS Clonmel (1841): Disaster to Discovery' with artefacts on show from the earliest located steamship in Australian waters.

Diving on the wreck of SS Blackbird

Blackbird is one of the many historic shipwrecks included in Victoria’s Underwater Shipwreck Discovery Trail. Qualified divers can explore the wrecks of old wooden clippers, iron steamships and cargo and passenger vessels located along the coast and in Port Phillip Bay. Some of these wreck dives are suitable for beginners while other wrecks require the skills and experience of advanced divers.

Victoria’s historic shipwrecks

In the 18th and 19th centuries, an enormous number of ships sailed in Victorian waters. For instance, at the height of the gold rush, 50 ships were reported sailing past Cape Otway Lighthouse in one day. In 1852, 150 ships were reported anchored in Hobson’s Bay at one time.

Despite Victoria being such a busy shipping region and although Bass Strait and the entrance to Port Phillip Bay presented many hazards to the unwary sailor, only 800 shipwrecks have occurred along the Victorian coast since 1797. Fewer than 200 of these wrecks have actually been found. All Australian shipwrecks over 75 years old are protected by state and Commonwealth historic shipwreck laws. Some younger wrecks may also be especially declared to be historic eg; World War II wrecks.

Blackbird was protected as a Historic Shipwreck on November 21, 1989, under the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act (1976). Any deliberate damage or interference to SS Blackbird is an offence under the Act and offenders face tough penalties.

Dive information sheet (PDF 584 kb)