Meet the site
The Currajong is the best wreck in Sydney Harbour and the hardest to dive legally. She was launched in Glasgow in 1875 as the TSS The Clarence, a 67.6 m, 603-ton twin-screw passenger and cargo steamer for the NSW north-coast trade, renamed Currajong in 1883 and later converted to a collier carrying coal from the Illawarra. On the night of 4 March 1910, outward bound in ballast, she crossed the path of the AUSN liner Wyreema off Bradleys Head and was struck on the port side; she sank in minutes in the main channel and one man died. Too deep to be a hazard to shipping of the day and too expensive to raise, she was left, and she lies today exactly where she fell, in the busiest stretch of water in Australia. The hull is almost completely intact and upright with the bow pointing toward Bradleys Head, deck at 18 m at the bow and 22 m at the stern, sand at 23–27 m. Two open holds, the donkey boiler, winches, the poop deck and steering gear are all there, and on the port side the plating is folded in where the Wyreema's bow entered. The interior is floored with a century of dead oyster shell; limited penetration is possible but rarely worth the silt. Schools of jewfish, bream, luderick, yellowtail and one-spot pullers crowd the stern and poop, and decorator crabs cover the rails, which is why the charter markets it as a photography dive. The restrictions are absolute: the wreck is in the shipping channel, so it is dived only at slack high water after midnight under Port Authority conditions, ascending on a line. Shore divers have reached it from the Bradleys Head steps along a staked route, but ferries pass overhead at full speed and the practice is neither safe nor clearly lawful. It suits Advanced divers who join the monthly charter and accept a 1 am start for the privilege of seeing a 1910 collier that almost nobody has.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
TSS Currajong wreck is recorded as Wreck in Sydney Harbour. The listed access is shore or 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.
- 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.
- Overhead environments
- Ask whether the plan stays entirely in open water. A wreck or cave listing is not permission or training to enter.
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 TSS Currajong wreck suitable for my certification?
The record lists Advanced 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 TSS Currajong wreck 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
Jewfish (mulloway), bream, luderick, yellowtail, one-spot pullers, decorator crabs, cuttlefish, moray eels, sponges and oysters on the hull
Location
Almost intact 68 m collier sunk in the main shipping channel 230 m off Bradleys Head after being run down by the liner Wyreema on 4 March 1910; upright with deck at 18–22 m and sand at 23–27 m.
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.infosydneydivecharters.com.auviz.net.ausydneydivecharters.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.