Eliza Ramsden (1874-1875)

Eliza Ramsden's impressive clipper bow

Eliza Ramsden (1874-1875)

Eliza Ramsden was only one year old when it ran aground on Corsair Rock, Point Nepean Reef. In its short career, it had made only one complete voyage from England to Melbourne, on to Boston and then back to England.

Eliza Ramsden was owned by prominent Melbourne resident the Reverend Samuel Ramsden and named after his wife. Although there are no photos or illustrations of the vessel, it was said to be the finest ship in the Port of Melbourne and cost £10,000 to build.

The final voyage of Eliza Ramsden

Eliza Ramsden had just delivered a load of cargo to Hobsons Bay and was making its way to Newcastle loaded with ballast. Captain Steuart, who was in charge of the vessel, was an experienced sailor, although this was the first time he had sailed to Port Phillip Bay. On board the ship were 14 crew members including the young Tom Pearce who was later to survive the tragic Loch Ard disaster.

Eliza Ramsden left Port Melbourne on the July 24, 1875 and made its way out toward the Heads. Captain Steuart burned a blue light to attract the attention of a pilot boat to guide the ship out through the Heads and pick up the son of Samuel Ramsden who wanted to be taken to Queenscliff. No pilot boat arrived and the ship proceeded to sail out through the Heads alone. As the ship appeared to be away from the land and sailing well, the Captain went below. Suddenly, Eliza Ramsden struck hard against Corsair Rock. The ebb tide swung the ship around on its side where it wedged firmly on the reef.

The ship's lifeboats were made ready in case the vessel broke up. The sails were taken in and blue lights and rockets were fired to signal for assistance. A lifeboat left Queenscliff at 9.00pm. As it pulled up alongside Eliza Ramsden, the Superintendent observed the damage to the vessel. Concerned that the boat was sufficiently damaged and would drift off the reef and sink, he ordered the crew and Captain to board their lifeboats and abandon ship.

Early next morning Captain Steuart arranged with the Master of the Warhawk tug to return to Eliza Ramsden to see if the ship could be towed off the reef at flood tide. As they made their way out to Point Nepean Reef, they were stopped by local fisherman who said the boat had already floated off the reef and was drifting out towards South Channel. The fishermen had boarded the vessel to attempt to steer it towards Queenscliff but had not been successful as the ship's rudder was severely damaged.

By the time the tug reached Eliza Ramsden, it was too late. The vessel had taken water and had settled on the sea floor at thirteen fathoms with only its top gallant masts above the water. As a warning to other vessels, day and night lights were fixed to the masts, although they were eventually replaced by a wreck buoy to mark the site. As shipping increased, Eliza Ramsden became a navigational hazard and in the 1960s its masts were blown-up with explosives.

At the Marine Inquiry, Captain Steuart was found guilty of negligence while navigating his vessel through Port Phillip Heads. In view of his long service and good character, his Master's licence was only suspended for six months.

The wreck of Eliza Ramsden was auctioned at the Melbourne Shipping Exchange. The bidding reached £500 before it eased off. Captain Steuart offered £1000 and the auctioneer reluctantly sold him the barque for this amount.

Ship construction

Eliza Ramsden was built in Glasgow, Scotland. Samuel Ramsden gave the builders strict instructions that no expense was to be spared in constructing a first class vessel.

The ship was one of the early vessels to be constructed from iron. It was a three masted barque and had a round stern and a figurehead of a woman at the bow. As the Eliza Ramsden had only one deck, it was probably built to carry cargo.

The ship had a gross tonnage of 415 tons. It measured 151.6ft (46.2m) in length, 27ft (8.23m) in breadth and 15ft (4.5m) in the hold.

Diving on the wreck of Eliza Ramsden

Eliza Ramsden 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

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.

Dive information sheet