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. Don Diego was a three-masted iron barque of 320 tons, 44.4 m (145.6 ft) long, built by Scott and Co at Greenock in 1855 – the oldest hull in the Graveyard. She traded to Australia under sail for nearly thirty years, ran aground off Queenscliff in 1874 and was salvaged, and in 1884 was cut down to a coal hulk in Melbourne. Thirty-two years later, on 26 May 1916, she was towed out past Point Lonsdale and scuttled in deep water, three years after the Brunette and long before the official ground was proclaimed. She lies in 70–72 m on the southern fringe of the Graveyard, the deepest of the barques and, at 2.6 km south of the Brunette, the most remote. The Scuba Doctor describes her as well stripped and probably only a hulk on scuttling, with the bow and stern rising around 4 m from the seabed and the amidships lying flat – the characteristic profile of an old iron sailing hull that has folded outwards. The site is exposed and prone to the tidal currents that fan out from Port Phillip, and it lies near the main shipping lanes, so a dive needs slack water, a shipping check and a live boat. Deep-water sponges and sea whips, ling, boarfish and big crayfish are the expected inhabitants; visibility is often 15–25 m on the rare suitable days. Don Diego is an expedition rebreather dive – 15 minutes at 70 m for well over an hour of decompression in a current-prone shipping approach – and has been dived by very few people. She suits only the most experienced Victorian technical teams, ideally in the same campaign as the Brunette, and is included here to complete the record of the Graveyard's oldest and deepest hulls.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Don Diego 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.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- 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 Don Diego 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 Don Diego 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
Location
Southern outer Ships' Graveyard about 11 km south of Point Lonsdale, 2.6 km south of the Brunette, near the main shipping lanes.
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.
