MV Noongah: Freighter shipwreck located 55 years after being lost at sea, deaths of 21 crew
The wreck of a freighter lost at sea 55 years ago has been found remarkably intact, bringing a degree of closure to the families of the 21 crew who died in the maritime disaster.
Tasmania
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One of the nation’s most confounding maritime mysteries has finally been solved after the discovery of a wrecked freighter with historic links to Tasmania.
The MV Noongah encountered a storm while transporting steel between Newcastle and Townsville on August 25, 1969.
The 71m coastal freighter was sunk in heavy seas, prompting one of the largest searches in Australia’s maritime history, where navy and merchant vessels were mobilised, as well as aircraft, in a desperate bid to find the survivors.
The disaster claimed the lives of 21 of the ship’s 26 crew, with just one body ultimately recovered.
But now, 55 years after the MV Noongah disappeared, the wreck has been located 17km off the coast of NSW, between Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.
Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, collaborating with Heritage NSW, the Sydney Project, and members of the public, confirmed the resting place of the ship during a voyage in June after divers, Paul and James Wright, found the wreck.
CSIRO’s research vessel the RV Investigator, which has its home port in Hobart, collected high-resolution bathymetry data and video footage over the course of the voyage.
The MV Noongah was commissioned in 1955, primarily to carry timber and other dry cargo between Tasmania and mainland ports. By the early 1960s, the ship was frequently transporting goods between Hobart and Brisbane, including Golden Circle tinned fruit and Cadbury chocolate.
It began carrying containerised cargo and other items from Burnie via the Bass Strait Searoad Service in 1965.
CSIRO voyage manager Margot Hind said the investigation had revealed that the wreck of the MV Noongah was mostly intact.
“We were lucky to have favourable sea conditions for the survey and our CSIRO technical teams were able to gather excellent bathymetry and drop camera vision of the wreck,” she said.
The data and vision gathered by the RV Investigator has been provided to the Sydney Project, a group dedicated to finding, filming, and documenting shipwrecks. The information will help support planning for a dive to collect further vision at the site.
CSIRO’s Matt Kimber said the tragedy of the MV Noongah was “still very much in the memory of many in the community and we offer our condolences to families and descendants of the crew who were lost”.
“Our thoughts are also with the surviving crew members from MV Noongah, and we hope that knowing the resting place of the vessel brings some closure for all,” he said.
“We’re so pleased to continue our strong collaboration with the maritime heritage community to assist in making these important discoveries.”
Family members and descendants of the MV Noongah crew are encouraged to contact CSIRO for additional details about the investigation.
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