Sands shift to expose shipwreck hidden for years at Illawarra
The Queen of Nations, a wooden clipper wrecked in 1881, is visible again off Corrimal Beach after sand shifts exposed its outline.
A drone captured footage showing the Queen of Nations shipwreck just behind the break at Corrimal Beach, Illawarra. The 58-metre wooden clipper has been hidden beneath sand for years.
The ship sank on May 31, 1881, after hitting Black Rock Reef at Towradgi. Captain Samuel Bache reportedly mistook a Mount Keira fire for the Sydney Harbour lighthouse, steering the ship directly into trouble.
One crew member drowned while leaving the stricken vessel. The other 25 crew survived.
Local residents recovered many cargo bottles of wine and spirits from the hull after the wreck. The ship was gazetted as a protected historic wreck in 1992, but has been looted multiple times, including unopened bottles of expensive Cognac.
- 58 metres
- Ship length
- May 31, 1881
- Sank
- 1
- Crew who drowned
- 25
- Crew who survived
Why it mattersShipwrecks hold historical and financial value; Australia's maritime past is scattered along our coastlines and rarely seen.
AustraliaThe wreck is a famous piece of Illawarra and NSW maritime history, now revealed again to locals and divers who knew the story.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 1 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
