Meet the site
Joanna was a tiny locally built coaster – a two-masted wooden schooner of 34 tons, only 13.9 m (45.6 ft) long, built in 1856 at Mount Eliza on the eastern shore of Port Phillip, one of the small craft that carried lime, firewood and farm produce around the bay in the decade after the gold rush. On 9 July 1857, barely a year old and loaded with bagged lime from the kilns of the southern peninsula bound for Melbourne's building boom, she was lost off St Leonards. That cargo is why she survives. The bags of lime set into concrete when they got wet, and their weight has pinned the hull to the seabed and protected it from 170 years of storms; the Scuba Doctor notes that the vessel remains well preserved, with the bagged lime, now solid rock, still visible along with ship fittings and crew possessions. On the south side of the site the remains of the rigging, the anchor chain and rope can be seen, and stingrays have taken up residence on the mound. Heritage Victoria has installed an information plinth on the site. Because the site is small, intact and fragile, it lies within a 100 m radius protected zone: a Heritage Victoria permit is required to dive and anchoring is prohibited, with severe penalties for entering the zone without authority. It is also exposed – 1.5 km offshore, open to northerly and southerly weather, and, unusually for a bay wreck this far from The Heads, subject to enough tidal stream that it should only be dived at slack water. The Joanna is a dive for permitted archaeological visits and, occasionally, supervised heritage tours, not for casual recreation. It is included here with its sister site the Clarence, 1 km to the north-west, so that boaters and divers on the Bellarine know where the zones are and why they matter: together the two schooners are the best surviving evidence of the small colonial coasters that built Melbourne.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Joanna is recorded as Wreck in Melbourne & Port Phillip Bay. 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.
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 Joanna 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 Joanna 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
Stingrays, flathead, leatherjackets, sea stars, small wrasse, sponges on the concreted cargo
Location
On the sand about 1.5 km off the coast between St Leonards and Indented Head inside Port Phillip, in 4–7 m, within a 100 m historic shipwreck protected zone.
Facilities nearby
St Leonards and Indented Head boat ramps (parking, toilets)
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.
