Meet the site
The Kelat is the oldest of the 1942 raid wrecks. She was built in 1881 by Duck and Company at Stockton on Tees as a three-masted, iron-hulled, fully rigged sailing ship of 1,894 gross tons and 80 m length, and worked the London-Australia trade. She was sold to Norwegian owners in 1903 and renamed Hovding, was condemned in Melbourne after storm damage in 1914, and became a coal hulk, later regaining her original name. The Royal Australian Navy requisitioned her in 1941 and she was towed from Fremantle to Darwin with a full cargo of coal, arriving in February 1942. During the raid Zero fighters machine-gunned her at her mooring; she took on water and sank a day or two later. DSAC notes that in the confusion after the raids nobody may have remembered to keep her pumps running. The 19 February 1942 raids - two waves of Japanese carrier and land-based aircraft, the first and heaviest attack ever made on mainland Australia - sank eight ships in the harbour and killed more than 230 people. In 1959-60 the Japanese firm Fujita Salvage cut most of the wrecks down to or below the waterline for scrap, so what divers find today is usually the lower hull, machinery that was too heavy to lift, and the cargo that the salvors were not permitted to remove. Today the Kelat is a gentle 12 m dive over a jumble of small relics spread across an area about 100 m long and 20 m wide. There is little recognisable ship structure, so the interest is in close searching - iron fittings, coal, rigging remains - and in the small marine life that has colonised the debris. Its shallow depth makes it the best option on the WWII trail for newer divers, for a long second dive after one of the deeper wrecks, and for divers who prefer to take their time. The Australian War Memorial holds photographs of the hulk lying half submerged in the harbour after the raid.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Kelat is recorded as Wreck in Darwin Harbour. 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.
- 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 Kelat 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 Kelat 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
Small reef fish, gobies, nudibranchs, cod, snapper, batfish and invertebrates among the debris
Location
Darwin Harbour, at the coal-hulk mooring where she sank in 1942; exact position not published by the sources consulted.
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
dsac.com.aumarinelife.org.auen.wikipedia.orgawm.gov.aunt.gov.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.