Meet the site
The Centurion is the most accessible historic wreck in Sydney and the usual first wreck dive for Manly-trained divers. She was a full-rigged clipper of 1,004 tons and 63 m, built in 1864 by Walter Hood at Aberdeen for George Thompson's Aberdeen White Star Line, and for twenty years she raced between London and Sydney with passengers and wool, typically in under 80 days each way. Cut down to a barque and then a bulk carrier, she left Dawes Point on 16 January 1887 under tow by the steamer Phoebe with 400 tons of coal and 60 tons of stone ballast for Honolulu. Off the Heads in a hard southerly and poor visibility the tow rope fouled the tug's propeller; the Centurion drifted onto North Head near Old Man's Hat, was hauled or slid off within half an hour, and sank inside the Heads off Quarantine Point. Nobody died. She lies on sand at about 18 m, largely buried, as two sections of iron frames and plating with masts, anchor chain, heaps of coal and stone ballast, beams and twisted ironwork; the sand has swallowed the rest and shifts from year to year, revealing and hiding pieces. It is a compact site that can be examined in a quarter of an hour, and Pro Dive Manly describes hull remains, deck frames, mast sections and anchor chain as the things to find. What makes it a good dive despite its modest structure is the fish: bullseyes and yellowtail school over the frames, bream and old wives shelter in them, cuttlefish, octopus and moray eels live in the gaps, and at night the wreck lights up with decorator crabs, hermit crabs, squid and hunting eels. Visibility is harbour-standard, 5–12 m, best on the top of the flood. The Centurion is a protected historic shipwreck and nothing may be disturbed. It suits Open Water divers, wreck-specialty and night-dive courses, and history enthusiasts; it pairs naturally with the Quarantine Station reef or Red Indian Point for a shallow harbour double.
What you might see
Bullseyes, yellowtail, bream, old wives, cuttlefish, octopus, moray eels, decorator crabs, squid at night, leatherjackets, flathead on the sand
Location
Remains of the 63 m Aberdeen White Star clipper Centurion, lost on 16 January 1887 after grounding on North Head under tow; two sections of iron, masts, chain, coal and ballast on sand in 18 m off Quarantine Point inside the Heads.
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
michaelmcfadyenscuba.infoprodive.com.ausydneydivecharters.com.auRecord updated 27 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.