Meet the site
The Booya is the most intact and the most poignant of the Cyclone Tracy wrecks. She began life in Holland in 1917 as the De Lauwers, a three-masted, steel-hulled motor-sailing schooner of 262 gross tons and about 36-40 m. Renamed Argosy Lemal in England in 1920, she came to South Australia in 1923, was requisitioned by the Commonwealth in 1942 as a forces radio station, became the Ametco in 1949 and sank at Low Wooded Island in Queensland, was salvaged around 1952 as the Clair Crouch, converted to carry sulphuric acid in 1958, and in 1964 became the Booya, a mother ship for the northern prawn fleets. In December 1974 she was owned by the Denham Island Transport Company and lying at anchor off Fort Hill Wharf with general cargo, freezers and fuel tanks aboard. Cyclone Tracy crossed Darwin in the early hours of 25 December 1974 with gusts estimated at over 200 km/h, destroying most of the city and killing 66 people, many of them at sea. More than 20 vessels sank or were driven ashore in and around the harbour, and several of those wrecks now form a second, much more intact wreck trail beside the 1942 sites. The Booya disappeared with five people aboard: crew members Graham Dearden, Gerald Thompson, Gregory Westerman and Terrance Westwood, and 24-year-old Ruth Vincent. She was found by chance by Cullen Bay Dive divers on 22 October 2003, almost 29 years later, lying on her starboard side in about 20 m. Police divers searched her and found no remains, but personal effects were recovered, including Ruth Vincent's opal ring. The hull is virtually intact, with one of the three masts broken away, deck fittings showing the crew's efforts to save her, and a distinct V-shaped dent in the stern that may be where another vessel struck her. She was declared a heritage site in 2005 with an exclusion zone, and DSAC laid a wreath on her for the 50th anniversary of Tracy in 2024. Divers describe it as an underwater garden, with coral and fish over a recognisable, complete ship - a rarity in Darwin. It suits divers with low-visibility experience who will respect a site where lives were lost.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Booya is recorded as Wreck in Darwin Harbour. The listed access is boat (day trip). Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
- Overhead environments
- Ask whether the plan stays entirely in open water. A wreck or cave listing is not permission or training to enter.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Booya suitable for my certification?
The record lists Advanced Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Booya through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Soft and hard corals on the hull, golden snapper, estuary cod, batfish, trevally, sweetlip, baitfish schools
Location
Darwin Harbour; the schooner broke from her anchorage off Fort Hill Wharf during Cyclone Tracy and lies on her starboard side in about 20 m.
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
dsac.com.aunt.gov.auen.wikipedia.orgrodneyfox.com.auabc.net.auabc.net.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
