Meet the site
The Thornliebank is the shallowest identified wreck in the Rottnest ships' graveyard and therefore the most accessible to technical divers. According to WreckSploration she was a 1,492-ton, three-masted iron barque built in Glasgow in 1886 by Joseph Russell for Andrew Weir and Co., measuring 244.5 by 37.6 feet, and was sold to Australian owners soon after launching. On 6 August 1891 she caught fire at anchor in Cockburn Sound; after two days of firefighting her twisted beams and plates made repair uneconomic, and she became a coal hulk in Fremantle harbour. A second fire on 18 April 1928 ended her working life, and the 42-year-old hull was towed out and scuttled off Rottnest. The WA Museum graveyard précis lists her scuttling in 1928.
WreckSploration and the Maritime Discovery Group located the wreck (Graveyard Site 44) on 13 October 2024 and modelled it in November 2024. She lies in about 46 m, oriented north-south with the bow to the south. The hull is about 69 m long with a counter stern and straight stem, and two masts - the main and mizzen - still stand, matching photographs taken at her scuttling. Collapsed plating and structure amidships may be remains of coal-handling gear or boiler bases.
This is a serious open-ocean decompression dive on a rarely seen nineteenth-century sailing-ship hull, suitable only for trained technical divers with their own support. Divers visiting should record and share observations with the research teams rather than disturb anything on the hull, and should expect to fund and run the whole operation themselves.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Thornliebank Wreck (Graveyard Site 44) is recorded as Wreck in Rottnest Island. 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.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
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 Thornliebank Wreck (Graveyard Site 44) 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 Thornliebank Wreck (Graveyard Site 44) 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
Schooling pelagic fish, samson fish, dhufish, pink snapper, sponges and gorgonians on the hull
Location
Iron three-masted barque (later coal hulk) scuttled in 1928, lying north-south in about 46 m roughly 10 miles south-west of Rottnest.
Facilities nearby
Launch at Fremantle or Woodman Point; Perth technical dive centres for mixed-gas fills.
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
wrecksploration.auwrecksploration.aumuseum.wa.gov.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.