Meet the site
The Victorian Ships' Graveyard was the official dumping ground for Melbourne's unwanted hulls: an unregulated 'outer Heads' area used from about 1900, and from 1932 the proclaimed Commonwealth Area No. 3, a 6 km circle about 10 km south-west of Barwon Heads in 40–60 m. More than 46 vessels were stripped, towed out through The Rip and sunk with gelignite between 1913 and 1971, and all are protected historic shipwrecks. Wills and her sister Burke were Australian-built: iron steam hopper barges of 345 tons gross, 39 m (128 ft) long, constructed in Adelaide in 1884 for the Melbourne Harbour Trust and named, like the Batman and Fawkner of the previous year, for figures from Victoria's founding story – in this case the doomed explorers. For nearly fifty years they carried dredge spoil from the Yarra and the bay channels out to the spoil grounds. In November 1934 the Trust offered five hopper barges for sale as scrap – Burke, Wills, Batman, Fawkner and H.C. Piggot – and, finding no buyers worth the name, scuttled all five in the Graveyard within six months: Wills went down on 22 August 1935, a month before Burke. The Wills lies in about 55 m in the central-western part of the field, 1.2 km from the H.C. Piggot. Little has been published about the wreck itself. By analogy with her better-known sisters, divers should expect a compact iron hull with bow and stern standing, an open hopper amidships with its strongback, and a boiler and engine aft, coated in the sponges and zoanthids of the western Graveyard and sheltering ling, bullseyes and crayfish. Visibility here, well clear of the Barwon plume, is usually 10–20 m on a settled day. At 55 m she is a trimix dive with a substantial decompression obligation for a small barge, which is why she is among the least-dived of the hopper group; the Batman and Fawkner offer the same experience 10 m shallower. She suits technical divers completing the Graveyard set or wanting a straightforward 55 m hull for rebreather practice, and any well-documented dive would usefully fill a gap in the published record.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Wills 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 Wills 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 Wills 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
Expected: sponges, zoanthids, ling, bullseyes, southern rock lobster, butterfly perch
Location
Central-western Ships' Graveyard about 9 km south-east of Barwon Heads, 1.2 km south-east of the H.C. Piggot.
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.
