Australian collaboration locates wreck of freighter that sank off New South Wales in 1969

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency, has helped confirm the resting place of Noongah, a 71-metre coastal freighter that was lost at sea in 1969 in one of the worst post-war maritime disasters in Australia's history.

Noongah was travelling between Newcastle and Townsville carrying steel when it encountered a storm and sank in heavy seas on August 25, 1969. The loss of the ship led to one of the largest searches for survivors in Australian maritime history, involving navy and merchant vessels, aircraft, helicopters, and shore-based searches of beaches along the coast.

Tragically, 21 of the 26 crew on board lost their lives in the incident. Only one body was ever recovered and the wreck of Noongah had never been found.

The location of the wreck has now been confirmed through a collaborative project between CSIRO, Heritage NSW, and The Sydney Project. Several members of the public also contributed to the project, including by pinpointing and reporting the location of the suspected shipwreck off the coast of New South Wales.

CSIRO's research vessel Investigator completed a survey of the unidentified shipwreck in June 2024. The vessel collected high-resolution bathymetry (seafloor mapping data) and video footage of the wreck.

CSIRO Voyage Manager Margot Hind said the investigation showed the wreck is sitting upright on the seafloor and is largely 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,” Ms Hind said. “The bathymetry data shows the wreck is sitting at a depth of 170 metres and is approximately 71 metres long, with the vessel dimensions, profile, and configuration matching Noongah.”

The data and vision collected by Investigator was provided to project partners to enable them to confirm the identity of the wreck and support planning for a dive by The Sydney Project to collect additional vision from the site.

Samir Alhafith from The Sydney Project said the discovery of Noongah has been 20 years in the making but it was only recently that the technology and diving knowledge allowed wrecks at such depths to be more easily identified.

“Not only is the discovery of these significant wrecks important for the surviving sailors and families of those that perished during the tragedy but also it allows us to investigate the mystery behind the sinking,” Mr Alhafith said.

Family members and descendants of the Noongah crew can contact CSIRO for further details about the investigation conducted by Investigator.