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. D McLennan was a steel steam bucket dredge of 424 tons gross, 50.4 m (165.5 ft) long, built in 1912 by Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde's yard at Leiden in the Netherlands and first employed in the Dutch East Indies. The Melbourne Harbour Trust bought her second-hand from Batavia (Jakarta), commissioned her in 1925 and named her for a Trust commissioner; she could dredge to 59 ft and worked the bay channels for 24 years until she was condemned in 1949 and scuttled on 8 June that year. The wreck rests on a sandy seabed in 58 m at the far south-western edge of the Graveyard, 716 m from the Bunyip and a kilometre from the White Pine. The Scuba Doctor gives no detailed description of the hull and there are few published diver reports; by analogy with the other dredges in the ground – Pioneer, Sir William McPherson, Bunyip – divers should expect a heavily built hull with the bucket-ladder well open amidships, machinery bases and possibly boilers aft, standing a few metres proud of the sand, under the deep-water sponge and sea-whip growth of the outer ground, with ling, boarfish and big crayfish. Visibility here is frequently 15–25 m on the calm days that allow the dive. At 58 m at the end of a 50-minute boat run, the D McLennan is a trimix or rebreather expedition dive with 45–55 minutes of decompression, done rarely and almost always as part of a south-western trio with the Bunyip and White Pine. It suits experienced technical teams completing the Graveyard inventory, and a documented survey would be a genuine contribution: the Dutch dredge is one of the least-known wrecks in the ground.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
D McLennan 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 D McLennan 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 D McLennan 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
Expected: deep-water sponges, sea whips, ling, boarfish, southern rock lobster (little documented)
Location
Far south-western Ships' Graveyard about 11 km south of Barwon Heads, 716 m east-north-east of the Bunyip.
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.
