Final remains of 130 year-old shipwreck SS Dicky to be removed from beach

The final remains of the historic Dicky Beach shipwreck will be removed at significant cost as a report warns the 130-year-old attraction has become too dangerous.

SS Dicky shipwreck, Dicky Beach. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The final remains of the historic Dicky Beach shipwreck are set to be removed at significant cost as a report warns the 130-year-old attraction has become too dangerous after resurfacing from the sand.

The Sunshine Coast Council voted unanimously to substantially or completely remove the SS Dicky on Thursday April 27 after a public safety risk management report highlighted public safety risks and recommended a partial closure of the beach surrounding the wreck for up to six months.

The report stated that complete removal was the preferred option but substantial removal may be necessary “to address the cultural heritage concerns raised by the Department of Environment and Science”.

The upper portions of the steamer boat were dug up due to public safety concerns in 2015 at a cost to council of about $180,000.

But less than six months later, the wreck rose out of its sandy tomb after wild weather and storm swells exposed the rusted remains.

With Caloundra’s coastline continuing to change, the ship has continued to become exposed by the receding shoreline in the years since.

Now, the report showed, it could cost council up to $1m to finally remove the vessel and that does not include any ongoing works on wreck preservation or storage.

Local councillor Terry Landsberg said he had raised the issue personally with the chief executive Emma Thomas about SS Dicky becoming a safety issue.

“It’s quite a sensitive issue for obviously the residents of Dicky Beach and I’d say all of the Sunshine Coast region,” he said.

“The SS Dicky is a cultural icon for our region and for over 130 years it has been in its resting place.”

The stranded SS Dicky, was washed ashore onto a beach which was later named Dicky Beach, after the ship had been caught in the tail of a cyclone, on February 4,1893.

Mr Landsberg said there had been reports of people getting severly injured swimming around the wreck and that he supported its complete removal.

Councillor Peter Cox said he lamented the fact that they hadn’t done a complete removal in 2015.

“I certainly don’t want to make that same mistake where we are putting future financial burden onto a council sometime in the future so we should have probably done it properly in 2015,” he said.

The ghostlike remains of SS Dicky lie just below the surface at Caloundra.

The SS Dicky ran aground during a cyclone in 1893 and became a major tourism drawcard in Caloundra.

The report stated that there was no way to reduce the risk of the wreck without removal.

“The recent ongoing exposure of the wreck means that there is a heightened safety concern, as bathers and other beachgoers are less able to clearly see the wreck, especially at high tide,” it stated.

Parts of the SS Dicky were moved to dry land in 2015.

Mr Landsberg said he understood the topic was a sensitive subject due to its heritage value but public safety needed to be prioritised.

“We’ve seen the wreck obviously become exposed again due to certain weather events and that’s an uncertainty so we’ve got to be sure public safety is a priority here,” he said.

Division 2 Sunshine Coast Councillor Terry Landsberg.

He said the local Dicky Beach Surf Life Saving Club was supportive after having to give first aid to people injured on the exposed shipwreck.

Originally published as Final remains of 130 year-old shipwreck SS Dicky to be removed from beach