Aneiura

Wreck Dive | Boat access

Four-Masted Wooden Schooner | Max Depth: 3 m (9.84 ft)

Aneiura
Source: State Libray Victoria

Level: Open Water and beyond.

The Aneiura shipwreck lies in Corio Bay, east of Point Lillias in the Port of Geelong's Outer Harbour.

Diving the Aneiura Shipwreck

The site which stands 2.5 to 3 metres above the bottom produces a pronounced return on the depth sounder. There is a heavy growth of algae covering the major features which are the home for numerous fish and stingray. The sand/mud bottom surrounding the wreck has a thick layer of scallop shell.

The north side of the site (still uncertain which side is bow and which stern) has material standing to within a metre of the surface, this material consists of outer planking and 1/2 frames, there is no evidence of inner or ceiling planking. Towards the west end of the site and approximately 10 m north of the mainline of wreckage appears to be the remains of an iron deckhouse. The structure at this end of the site appears to consist of stern deadwood and possible propeller shaft support brackets, but the heavy growth prevents a more accurate guess.

The east end of the site is very fragmented consisting of isolated pieces of wreckage (mostly iron concretion) the sea bottom is this section of the site is mostly made of limestone, a sea bottom which is not so friendly towards a wooden shipwreck.

The centre of the site is quite flat with a heavy growth of algae's growing in and around the frames, keelsons, sister keelsons and upright stanchions. There is evidence of granite ballast. There is no evidence of machinery, anchors or knees.

The south side of the site has collapsed outwards, the frames breaking off at the 1st/2nd frame with the remaining material lying quite flat on the seabed. This area also contains numerous large iron concretions.

Aneiura Shipwreck History — Built in 1918

The Aneiura was a four-masted wooden schooner, built in 1918, by J Robertson in Benecia, California, USA, on dimensions of 236.5 ft (72 m) in length, with a beam of 42 ft (13 m) and a depth of 26.95 ft (8.21 m).

As Oronite, came to Australia under Panamanian flag. Seized and sold under order of Supreme Court of Victoria, for non-payment of wharfage and harbour dues, Action no. 38, 25 July 1927.

Aneiura Shipwreck Sinking — 1934

Dismantled in 1932 by Geelong Harbour Trust at Yarra Street Pier, towed to a beach at Avalon, set alight to allow further fittings to be recovered. Hull later drifted about 3/4 mile offshore and settled in 12 ft (3.66 m) of water.

Heritage Warning: Any shipwreck or shipwreck relic that is 75 years or older is protected by legislation. Other items of maritime heritage 75 years or older are also protected by legislation. Activities such as digging for bottles, coins or other artefacts that involve the disturbance of archaeological sites may be in breach of the legislation, and penalties may apply. The legislation requires the mandatory reporting to Heritage Victoria as soon as practicable of any archaeological site that is identified. See Maritime heritage. Anyone with information about looting or stolen artefacts should call Heritage Victoria on (03) 7022 6390, or send an email to heritage.victoria@delwp.vic.gov.au.

Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) country

Traditional Owners — This dive site is in the traditional Country of the Wathaurong (Wadda-Warrung) people of the Kulin Nation. This truly ancient Country includes the coastline of Port Phillip, from the Werribee River in the north-east, the Bellarine Peninsula, and down to Cape Otway in the south-west. We wish to acknowledge the Wathaurong as Traditional Owners. We pay respect to their Ancestors and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Bunjil the Creator Spirit of this beautiful land, who travels as an eagle, and Waarn, who protects the waterways and travels as a crow, and thank them for continuing to watch over this Country today and beyond.

Aneiura Location Map

Latitude: 38° 5.450′ S (38.090833° S / 38° 5′ 27″ S)
Longitude: 144° 28.350′ E (144.4725° E / 144° 28′ 21″ E)
Datum: WGS84 | Google Map
Added: 2012-07-22 09:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-29 01:39:50 GMT
Source: GPS
Nearest Neighbour: Outer Harbour Shellfish Reef, 1,728 m, bearing 169°, S
Four-Masted Wooden Schooner, 1652 ton.
Built: Benecia, California, USA, 1918.
Sunk: 1934.
Point Lillias, Corio Bay, Port Phillip.
Depth: 3 m.

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DISCLAIMER: No claim is made by The Scuba Doctor as to the accuracy of the dive site coordinates listed here. Should anyone decide to use these GPS marks to locate and dive on a site, they do so entirely at their own risk. Always verify against other sources.

The marks come from numerous sources including commercial operators, independent dive clubs, reference works, and active divers. Some are known to be accurate, while others may not be. Some GPS marks may even have come from maps using the AGD66 datum, and thus may need be converted to the WGS84 datum. To distinguish between the possible accuracy of the dive site marks, we've tried to give each mark a source of GPS, Google Earth, or unknown.