Meet the site
Few Sydney wrecks have a stranger history than the Meggol. She was launched on 10 November 1919 as HMS Wexford, an Aberdare-class minesweeper of the Royal Navy, built too late for the war she was designed for. Sold in 1921 to the Brisbane Tug and Steamship Company she became the excursion steamer Doomba, running day-trippers from Brisbane to Stradbroke Island for eighteen years. On 3 September 1939 she was requisitioned and commissioned as HMAS Doomba, serving through the Second World War as a minesweeper, anti-submarine patrol vessel and submarine-detection ship along the east coast. Paid off in March 1946 and sold to shipbreakers, she escaped the torch when Meggitt Ltd, a Sydney vegetable-oil firm, bought the hull around 1951 and renamed her Meggol, using her as a floating oil storage and refuelling barge on the harbour until 1970. On 8 or 9 December 1976 she became the second vessel scuttled on the new Long Reef artificial reef, going down beside the Dee Why ferry sunk six months earlier. The wreck sits upright on sand at 49 m with the deck originally at 43 m. It is now badly deteriorated: the hull from the bow back to the first hold has fallen to starboard and lies almost level with the sand, the deck has largely collapsed, and rust has opened the plating so that you can look from one compartment into the next. What remains legible is a long, low warship hull about 70 m long with a series of former holds and oil tanks forward, the engine and boiler spaces amidships, and a steering compartment at the stern. It is a wreck for those who enjoy reading structure rather than admiring intact ships. Fish life is shared with the Dee Why: bullseyes, nannygai and kingfish, with the occasional jewfish. The value of the Meggol is historical and as a second objective on a Dee Why dive; twenty metres of sand separate the two, so with a compass bearing and reasonable visibility a team can tour both within one bottom-time budget. It suits experienced decompression divers who already know the Dee Why and want to see the only Royal Navy minesweeper hull diveable in NSW.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
HMAS Doomba / Meggol wreck is recorded as Wreck in Sydney Northern Beaches. The listed access is boat. 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.
- 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.
- Overhead environments
- Ask whether the plan stays entirely in open water. A wreck or cave listing is not permission or training to enter.
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 HMAS Doomba / Meggol wreck 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 HMAS Doomba / Meggol wreck 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
Bullseyes, nannygai, kingfish, jewfish, sergeant baker, wobbegongs, encrusting sponges and jewel anemones
Location
Ex-Royal Navy minesweeper, Queensland excursion steamer, RAN patrol vessel and finally the Meggitt oil barge Meggol, scuttled in December 1976 about 20 m off the starboard bow of the Dee Why ferry in 49 m.
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.infomichaelmcfadyenscuba.infoRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.