SS Coogee was originally built to sail between Liverpool and the Isle of Man and was then known as the Lancashire Witch. When the ship’s British owner became bankrupt in 1888, well known Melbourne ship owners Huddart Parker LTD., bought the steamer to sail between Melbourne and Geelong.
For 41 years, Coogee served on various routes. It also had a number of collisions, but was repaired and returned to service. In 1928, the steamer came to the end of its useful life and became uneconomic to maintain. It was stripped of fittings considered valuable and taken out through Port Phillip Heads. It was then blasted with explosives until it sank and settled on the seafloor.
A long and eventful career
Coogee was originally brought to Melbourne to take cargo between Melbourne and Geelong. But in 1890, when Huddart Parker Ltd. entered the Bass Strait ferry run, the steamer was altered to take passengers between Melbourne and Launceston. SS Coogee completed 961 round trips until it was involved in an accident in the early hours of Christmas Day, 1903.
Coogee was full with passengers, eager to reach Melbourne to celebrate Christmas Day with friends and relatives. At 2am, the ship ran into thick fog and immediately reduced to half speed. An hour later, the fog was so dense that the engine was stopped. At 4am Coogee restarted its engine and steamed ahead at half speed. Through the fog, which had lifted a little, the ship’s second officer spotted the masts of a sailing ship: a four masted iron ship, Fortuna Figaro which was bound for Newcastle.
Coogee was only a few lengths away from Fortuna Figaro and both vessels were on a collision path. The Captain, who was on the bridge, ordered Coogee’s engines to be stopped and its helm to be turned hard to starboard. However, there was little time. Coogee and Fortuna Figaro collided and a great gash was ripped in the bow of Coogee. As the larger sailing ship moved passed, its jib boom wept along Coogee from stern to stern carrying away everything in its way including deck houses, the bridge, lifeboats, ventilators, and the funnel. The Captain and the man at the wheel were killed. Fortunately all passengers and most of the crew were below deck, otherwise, casualties would have been greater.
Steam and smoke were pouring from the steamer and its whistle was blowing continuously creating an atmosphere of panic. The crew and passengers were taken on board Fortuna Figaro. Although water was pouring through the gash in the bow of Coogee, the forward bulkhead was still intact and prevented water moving through the entire hull and sinking the steamer.
At daylight the crew returned to inspect the damage to Coogee. Another steamer, Restorer, had arrived on the scene with a doctor to help other injured crew. It immediately returned to Queenscliff to report the damage. The crew on Coogee were able to raise enough steam for the ship to proceed under its own power and went ahead towing the sailing ship until both vessels were met by pilot boats from Queenscliff.
In the inquiry that followed, Coogee was blamed for the incident. The Chief Justice for Victoria said that the mate on duty should have reversed the engines when he heard the fog horn of the other ship.
There are no details of what happened to Coogee directly after the collision, but in 1910, it was refitted and recommenced sailing between Melbourne and Geelong. However, Coogee continued to be involved in collisions and other unfortunate incidents. In February 1914, it ran aground on a sandbar and it took several days before the steamship was successfully towed away. That same month, Coogee collided with another vessel, Bombala, and was badly damaged. In March 1914, after being reconditioned and repaired, Coogee had another collision with Uganda, although this time there was no serious damage.
In 1917, Coogee was withdrawn from the Port Phillip Bay Service and after lying idle for 12 months was taken over by the Royal Australian Navy and used as a mine sweeper. In 1921, Coogee was chartered by the Telegraph Department and used to repair damage to the Bass Strait cable.
In 1928, the steamer was considered redundant and was scuttled outside the Heads.
Ship construction
Coogee was a three masted iron screw steamer. When the ship sailed from England to Australia, it was rigged as a barque and its propeller was kept in the hold.
The ship had an iron hull and four cemented bulkheads (watertight hull partitions) which made it less likely for the steamer to completely fill with water in the event of the hull being pierced in a collision. The steamer was propelled by a triple expansion engine capable of generating 250 HP. Its three cylinders had diameters of 23 inches (58cm), 37 inches (94cm) and 60 inches (152cm) and with a cylinder stroke length of 36 inches (91cm).
Coogee was built in Sunderland UK by British boat builders J.L. Thompson and Sons and measured 225ft (68.5m) in length, 30.2ft (9.1m) in width and 13.5ft (7.1m) in depth. The ship had a gross tonnage of 762 tons.
Diving on the wreck of Coogee
Coogee 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.
Dive information sheet