Meet the site
The Thistle was a two-masted wooden brigantine of 58 tons, built in 1825 at Fort Gloster on the Hooghly in Bengal, India, and bought in 1831 by the Henty family, who used her to explore and supply their settlements in Van Diemen's Land and at Portland Bay – she carried the first Henty party to Portland in 1834, which makes her a founding vessel of European Victoria. On Christmas Day 1837, while her crew were ashore at Port Fairy collecting wattle bark, a south-east gale parted her anchor cables in the afternoon and drove her onto the beach, a total loss. Over the following years her upper works were salvaged for building timber or rotted away and the hull sank into the sand. She is historically notable as one of only four Asian-built vessels known to have been lost on the Victorian coast in the nineteenth century, and, with the Regia at Portland, one of only two that have been located.
What can be seen depends on the sand. In the shallows opposite Rogers Place, in 1–3 m, sections of timber, iron fastenings and ballast are exposed from time to time and reburied at others, on a bottom of sand and low reef within wading distance of the beach. It is a snorkel rather than a dive, needing calm conditions and a very low swell because the bay opens to the east and south-east, and it takes twenty minutes. Its interest is entirely historical, and it is best visited as part of the Port Fairy Shipwreck Walk, which interprets the thirty vessels lost in and around the bay between 1836 and 1876 – almost all of them, like the Thistle, driven ashore from their anchors by southerly gales in the years before the Moyne River was made into a harbour. The Lydia and Socrates lie a few hundred metres north along the same beach and the Essington a little south, and all four are protected historic shipwrecks.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Thistle, Port Fairy is recorded as Wreck in Shipwreck Coast & Warrnambool. The listed access is shore. 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 Thistle, Port Fairy 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 Thistle, Port Fairy 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
Sand and shallow reef life – small wrasse, leatherjackets, sea stars, crabs, flathead, occasional rays
Location
Remains of an 1825 Indian-built brigantine owned by the Hentys, lost on Christmas Day 1837 and lying in the shallows of Port Fairy Bay opposite Rogers Place on East Beach, in up to 3 m.
Facilities nearby
Street parking at Rogers Place, toilets and showers at the East Beach surf club, Port Fairy cafes and shops 1 km; no air fills in Port Fairy.
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.auscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.