Meet the site
The SS Empire Gladstone was one of the hundreds of standard cargo ships built in Britain during the Second World War. Launched in 1944 at Sunderland, she was 7,090 tons, 450 feet (137 m) long and 56 feet wide, powered by a triple-expansion engine with three coal-fired boilers. In August 1944 she carried troops and vehicles of the First Belgian Brigade to Normandy. After the war she was chartered to the Adelaide Steamship Company, and on 1 September 1950 she left Whyalla for Newcastle with iron ore and 159 car bodies.
On the evening of 5 September 1950, Captain John Lennie, on his last voyage before retirement, kept close inshore to avoid the current. The fourth engineer steered for what he took to be a lighthouse, but the lights turned out to be those of Merimbula Wharf. At 7.55 pm the ship's stern struck the reef of Haystack Rock, off Haycock Point about 8 km south-east of Merimbula. She broke her back and could never be refloated. The crew stayed aboard for days while Eden trawlers took the car bodies ashore, then abandoned ship when the weather worsened. One crewman said it was his ninth shipwreck.
Today the wreck is the largest remaining in NSW, lying east–west with the stern towards shore in no more than about 12 m. McFadyen found it much more broken in 2005 than in 1989. Highlights include the raised rear accommodation area (covered in mussels, which you can swim into with light streaming through), the prop shaft tunnel, a detached stern section of the tunnel, the propeller lying on the bottom, a large double bollard, a huge flywheel, the broken engine and two boilers, and a hill of bow wreckage at 6 m beside the Haystack Rock bommie. Iron ore is scattered everywhere. Crevices are packed with fish – blackfish, blue groper, yellowtail and silver sweep. The shallow depth makes it ideal for Open Water divers.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
SS Empire Gladstone is recorded as Wreck in Merimbula. 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.
- 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 SS Empire Gladstone 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 SS Empire Gladstone 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
Blue groper, blackfish (luderick and drummer), yellowtail, silver sweep, bream, leatherjackets, mussels, sponges, kelp
Location
Broken-up remains of a 7,090-ton British wartime cargo ship wrecked in 1950 on the southern side of Haystack Rock off Haycock Point, about 8 km south-east of Merimbula; lies east–west in 4–12 m. NSW's largest remaining wreck.
Facilities nearby
Merimbula boat ramps; Merimbula Divers Lodge for fills and hire.
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.infomarinelife.org.aumerimbuladiverslodge.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.