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. Campana began as a three-masted iron barque of 815 tons gross built by R. and J. Evans at Liverpool in 1875, sailed under British and then Hamburg owners as the Vidette, and in 1899 was bought by McIlwraith, McEacharn of Melbourne, cut down to a coal hulk and renamed Campana to bunker the company's steamers in Hobsons Bay. Twenty-eight years of that work finished her, and on 30 July 1927 she was towed out and sunk with explosives off Barwon Heads. For a stripped hulk the Campana is, by the Scuba Doctor's account, a better wreck dive than one might expect and feels larger than her 60-odd metres. The bow steelwork is intact and offers easy penetration with multiple swim-through locations, the hull sides stand well enough to give the shape of a sailing ship, and the whole structure is thick with sponges in white, yellow, orange and purple – at 55 m, with no river silt and constant tidal flow off The Rip, the growth is among the richest in the Graveyard. Big ling, boarfish, butterfly perch and crayfish live in the bow. The catch is location. Campana lies on the shipping leads into Port Phillip and is always subject to shipping, so a dive needs a clear window with no ship movements, a surface vessel on station and disciplined shot-line decompression. That, and the 54–58 m depth, keep it a rare trimix or rebreather dive done a few times a year by Melbourne technical teams, usually in the same outing as the Auriga 178 m away. It suits technical divers who have done the western barges and want colour, swim-throughs and the atmosphere of an iron sailing ship at depth.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Campana 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 Campana 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 Campana 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
Sponges (white, yellow, orange, purple), ling, boarfish, butterfly perch, southern rock lobster, sea whips, zoanthids
Location
Deep eastern Ships' Graveyard on the shipping leads about 5.5 km south of Point Lonsdale, 178 m south-south-west of the Auriga.
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.
