Meet the site
The Children was a wooden three-masted barque of 255 tons, built at Liverpool in 1824 and bought in 1837 by the Henty family of Portland for their coastal trade. On 14 January 1839, bound from Launceston to Portland with 38 people, livestock, stores and a cargo of house bricks, she was caught in hurricane-force winds and driven onto Needle Rock at what is now Childers Cove. Sixteen people died, including the master and first mate, and the survivors, several badly injured, spent days on the beach before help arrived from Port Fairy. It was the first major loss of life in a shipwreck on the Victorian coast and one of the earliest wrecks on what would become the Shipwreck Coast; the cove is named for the ship, with the spelling altered over time. Skeletons from the wreck were exposed by shifting sand in 1931, 1951 and 1963, and an anchor recovered in 1974 stands at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum in Warrnambool.
Almost nothing structural survives of a small wooden hull lost in the surf 185 years ago. The Scuba Doctor records that much of the wreck has been destroyed by constant sea movement and that the main remains are the scattered house bricks intended for Portland, lying in the sand gutters and reef edge off Needle Rock in about 3 m, along with occasional iron and ballast that the shifting sand uncovers. The reef itself has kelp, abalone, crayfish and small fish. It is a snorkel or a very short dive on the flattest of days, and the swim around the point from the cove is the only real challenge. The site's value is historical: it is a protected historic shipwreck on the Historic Shipwreck Trail with an interpretive sign above the cove, and the cove, with its stacks and sheltered beach, is a good place to spend a summer afternoon whether or not the sea allows a look at the bricks.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Children is recorded as Wreck in Shipwreck Coast & Warrnambool. The listed access is shore. 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.
- 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 Children suitable for my certification?
The record lists 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 Children 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
Kelp, black-lip abalone, southern rock lobster, blue-throat wrasse, sea sweep, zebrafish, small fish in the cove shallows
Location
Remains of an 1839 wooden barque, one of the earliest wrecks on the coast, off Needle Rock at Childers Cove between Warrnambool and Peterborough, in about 3 m.
Facilities nearby
Car park and steps at Childers Cove, basic toilet at the car park, no water or shops; Warrnambool 30 km; nearest air fills Warrnambool.
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.