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. John Nimmo was Melbourne-built – a big steel bucket dredge of 1,209 tons gross, 69.6 m (228 ft) long, constructed in 1887 by Forman and Co at Footscray for the Melbourne Harbour Trust and named after its chairman. For 44 years she cut the channels that let ocean steamers reach the new docks at the foot of the city, and she was involved in collisions with the Eddystone and Melbourne in 1893 and the Saint Ronald in 1901. Worn out, she was towed to Bass Strait by the tug Keera and scuttled on 10 August 1931. Because a dredge is all machinery and heavy framing, and because 68 m of water keeps most divers away, the John Nimmo is, in the Scuba Doctor's judgement, possibly the shipwreck in the best condition in the whole Graveyard, with plenty of superstructure to explore. She stands 4–5 m off the bottom in 68 m, deckhouses and bucket-ladder well intact, and carries the dense deep-water sponge and sea-whip growth of the southern part of the ground. Ling, boarfish and very large crayfish are the residents, and on the rare days calm enough to dive visibility is usually 15–25 m. This is the deepest of the regularly identified Graveyard wrecks and a serious undertaking: hypoxic trimix or rebreather, an hour or more of decompression, and a live boat with support divers, all for 15–18 minutes on the bottom. It is dived a few times a year at most by the most experienced Melbourne technical teams, and it is the wreck those divers most often name as the best-preserved in the ground. It suits divers with substantial 60 m-plus experience who want an intact industrial vessel rather than a collapsed hulk.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
John Nimmo 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 John Nimmo 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 John Nimmo 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, butterfly perch
Location
Deep southern Ships' Graveyard about 7.5 km south of Point Lonsdale, 1 km south-south-east of the Malaita.
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.
