Meet the site
Kanowna was a 6,993-ton, 126 m twin-screw passenger liner built by William Denny and Brothers at Dumbarton in 1902 for the Australasian United Steam Navigation Company's Sydney–Fremantle run, one of the finest coastal liners of her day. In August 1914 she carried a thousand men of the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force towards German New Guinea, a voyage cut short by a stokers' mutiny over water rations in the heat of the boiler rooms; from June 1915 to 1919 she served as a hospital ship with 452 cots and 88 medical staff, making about ten voyages between Australia and England and bringing home the wounded of Gallipoli and the Western Front. Back in civilian service, she left Sydney for Melbourne in February 1929 and on the morning of 18 February, in fog, ran onto rocks near Cleft Island off Wilsons Promontory. Passengers were taken off by the SS Mackarra; she was got off the rocks but her boilers failed, the crew abandoned her to the SS Dumosa and she sank the next morning. The inquiry blamed her master for insufficient caution in fog. Lost for 76 years, she was found on 23 April 2005 by four Melbourne technical divers about 50 km into Bass Strait in roughly 80 m, and identified on 8 May 2005 against the builder's drawings. She lies on a sand bottom at 80–82 m, and although corroded and collapsing in places, her sections remain recognisable – the bow, the long line of the hull, the boilers and engines of a big twin-screw steamer, the stern – on a scale unmatched by anything else dived in Victoria. Visibility of 20–30 m is common and the wreck teems with ling, boarfish, butterfly perch and big crayfish; deep-water sponges and sea whips cover the steel. Kanowna is an expedition, not a charter: a 2–3 hour passage each way from Port Welshpool, 20 minutes at 80 m on hypoxic trimix or a rebreather, and an hour and a half of drifting decompression in the open Strait. A few teams a year manage it. For Australian technical divers it sits alongside the Alert and the City of Rayville as the pinnacle of Victorian deep wreck diving, and it is the only one of the three that is neither in a protected zone nor requires a permit – though it is a historic shipwreck under Commonwealth law and nothing may be removed.
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 Kanowna is recorded as Wreck in Wilsons Promontory. The listed access is boat (multi-day/liveaboard). 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 TSS Kanowna 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 TSS Kanowna 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
Ling, boarfish, butterfly perch, southern rock lobster, deep-water sponges, sea whips, occasional seals and dolphins on the passage
Location
In open Bass Strait off the south-west of Wilsons Promontory, near Cleft Island (Skull Rock) and the Anser Group, in about 80 m; found in 2005 roughly 50 km into the Strait from the nearest port.
Facilities nearby
Port Welshpool wharf and ramp (parking, toilets, fuel); nothing at the site
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
en.wikipedia.orgdivernet.comscubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.