Meet the site
The Victorian Ships' Graveyard was the official dumping ground for Melbourne's unwanted hulls: an unregulated 'outer Heads' area used from about 1900, and from 1932 the proclaimed Commonwealth Area No. 3, a 6 km circle about 10 km south-west of Barwon Heads in 40–60 m. More than 46 vessels were stripped, towed out through The Rip and sunk with gelignite between 1913 and 1971, and all are protected historic shipwrecks. Bunyip was one of the oldest vessels in the ground: an iron steam bucket dredge of 317 tons, 48.9 m (160.5 ft) long, built by W. Simons and Co at Renfrew and launched on 24 January 1879 for the Melbourne Harbour Trust Commission, two years after the Trust was formed to make the Yarra navigable. Her 78 ft bucket ladder dug the first deep channels into the river. Long superseded, she was cut down to a coal hulk and lighter, and on 20 November 1954 she snapped her moorings in a fierce storm and went adrift in Hobsons Bay – the same fate that condemned the Malaita a generation earlier. Judged not worth keeping, she was towed out and scuttled on 13 April 1955. She lies in about 58 m at the far south-western edge of the field, one of the most remote wrecks in the Graveyard, and the Scuba Doctor calls her an interesting deep technical dive – a Victorian-era dredge with industrial equipment still recognisable, though the great bucket ladder was presumably removed when she became a hulk. Deep-water sponges and sea whips grow on the iron and ling, boarfish and large crayfish live in the structure; visibility at this end of the ground, far from the Barwon, is often 15–25 m. At 58 m the Bunyip is a trimix or rebreather dive with 45–55 minutes of decompression at the end of a 50-minute boat run, and she is among the least-visited wrecks in the ground. She suits experienced technical divers doing the south-western trio – Bunyip, D McLennan and White Pine, all within a kilometre – and anyone with a taste for the oldest machinery in the Graveyard.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Bunyip is recorded as Wreck in Port Phillip Heads. 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.
- 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.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
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 Bunyip suitable for my certification?
The record lists Technical (decompression). 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 Bunyip 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
Deep-water sponges, sea whips, ling, boarfish, large southern rock lobster, butterfly perch
Location
Far south-western Ships' Graveyard about 11 km south of Barwon Heads, 716 m west-south-west of the D McLennan and 963 m south-east of the White Pine.
Facilities nearby
Departure from Queenscliff Harbour (parking, toilets, cafes, fills at Dive Victoria/Queenscliff Dive Centre) or Portsea Pier (parking on Point Nepean Road, toilets, cafes).
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
scubadoctor.com.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
