Meet the site
Malaita began life in 1893 at the Grangemouth Dockyard in Scotland as the Antilla, a 940-ton, 61 m (200 ft) steel steamship for the Bahamas Steamship Company. Fire damaged her in 1904; Burns, Philp and Co bought and reconditioned her, renamed her Malaita in 1905 and put her into the Pacific island trade that gave the company its name. Huddart Parker took her over in 1914 and cut her down to a coal hulk in Melbourne. In an unusual afterlife the Moreland Smelting Company re-engined her with machinery salvaged from the paddle steamer Excelsior and put her back into cargo service, but in December 1926 she broke her moorings in a gale and damaged the South Melbourne baths. Her owners had had enough, and she was scuttled in Bass Strait on Tuesday 20 November 1928. The wreck lies in about 65 m, one of the deepest in the official Graveyard and beyond the reach of anything but trimix or rebreather teams. Published detail on its condition is thin because it is so seldom visited: reports describe a broken but recognisable steel hull with the engine and boiler space standing, heavy deep-water sponge growth, and the big ling, boarfish and crayfish typical of the 60 m band. Visibility at this depth is often 15–25 m on the good days that allow the dive at all. Malaita is realistically an expedition-style dive for experienced Melbourne technical divers, done a handful of times a year at most from private boats or a chartered technical vessel. It appeals to those collecting the deep Graveyard set – Malaita, Hygeia, Leeuwin, Werfa, John Nimmo – rather than to divers wanting a well-documented tourist wreck.
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 Malaita 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 SS Malaita 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 SS Malaita 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, ling, boarfish, southern rock lobster, butterfly perch, sea whips
Location
Deep eastern Ships' Graveyard about 6 km south-south-west of Point Lonsdale, 944 m from the Hygeia.
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.
