The Wreck of the Zanoni

 It seems that I started to become really interested in shipwrecks in mid-1983, the same year that the wreck of the Zanoni was found off Ardrossan, South Australia.

I was the Editor for the newsletter of the Marine Life Society of SA, a group that had only been a temperate marine aquarium group up until October 1982. As newsletter Editor, I had started to introduce the topic of shipwrecks into their newsletters back in April1982.

I see from the June 1983 issue of the MLSSA Newsletter that the Society had made plans to dive on the Norma wreck the following month. Although that did not eventuate, it would have been my first dive on a shipwreck.

The June 1983 newsletter included several items about shipwrecks, including their conservation, rewards for their discovery and protected wrecks throughout SA and Australia. It also made mention of the newly discovered1867 wreck of the Zanoni  being a protected wreck in SA. It explained that the Zanoni “was only discovered in April (1983) when a fisherman took some divers to the site off Ardrossan in St Vincent Gulf. It is a three-masted barque and is virtually intact. The wreck is considered so important that the State Government almost immediately declared a protected zone around it to prevent damage and destruction by divers and fishermen. Anyone found entering the zone without a permit from the heritage conservation branch of the Department of Environment and Planning faces a $1000 fine, or one year’s imprisonment, or both.”

The two divers that discovered the wreck of the Zanoni in April 1983 when a fisherman took them to the site off Ardrossan, (the late) Ian O’Donnell and (the late) John McGovern, both spoke at our November 1983 meeting about the work being done on the Zanoni. They showed us some slides and two short video films. This was all reported in detail in our December 1983 newsletter.

According to the first report about the actual meeting itself, “Ian O’Donnell and John McGovern from the Zanoni Shipwreck Project Inc. were our guest speakers at the November General Meeting. They both gave an interesting account of the events leading up to the sinking of the Zanoni and how they managed to discover the site of the wreck. They also showed us some fantastic slides and video tapes of the condition of the Zanoni and the marine life on it. We also saw several artifacts that they have collected from the wreck.”

This was followed by a 2 ½-page article about the Zanoni itself. Rex Tyrrell was the fisherman that led Ian and John to the wreck site. He had been fishing the site from the 1950s up to 1971. It was a wonder that he finally managed to relocate the wreck again 12 years later in 1983. The article outlined some of the ‘incredible’ marine life to be found on the wreck, including several wobbegong sharks and white pointer sharks, although we were assured that these sharks do not bother divers at all.

Of more concern than the sharks were the 2 ½ to 3 knot currents that were common at the Zanoni, although these were advantageous in that they quickly carry away any stirred-up sediment. Our committee soon recommended that our Society would participate in the study of the Zanoni wreck by conducting several transections of the wreck and general area. Unfortunately, that never eventuated either because we received a long letter from Ian O’Donnell which was reproduced in our May 1984 newsletter. It seems that, despite the protective zone around the wreck, fishermen were flocking to the site and causing much damage to it. Clearly, there was little policing of the protective zone around the wreck. According to Ian, the fish population had been decimated within less than one year, anchors were causing structural damage to the wreck, the wreck was being polluted with fishing line and tackle, beer bottles and other rubbish. The dive team working on the site had to continually reset its base and grid lines regularly due to fishing boat anchors and lines continually tearing them up.

Burleying by fishermen at the wreck site was stirring up the white pointer sharks and the divers decided that the risk of diving alongside the sharks was no longer acceptable. Fishermen were even targeting the sharks and there were cases of sharks attacking boats. The dive team terminated its permit in March 1984 and was critical of the government’s inaction over the protection zone declared around the wreck. All this led to our Society stepping away from any involvement at all.

A barge was sunk 1500 metres south of the Zanoni in April 1984 for fishermen to target rather than the Zanoni. Huge buoys were placed on both wrecks, but the buoy left at the Zanoni site was soon dragged over a kilometre away. It would have taken a huge boat to drag that huge buoy that long distance.

Our September 1984 newsletter featured a map by Ken Jury, a fishing reporter who had been critical of the boat owners that had relocated the buoy from the Zanoni, showing the location of the new “Barge Reef” south of the Zanoni wreck. Coordinates of 34 deg, 31 mins, 50.5 sec South, 138 deg,03 mins, 41 sec East were given for the barge’s site. Ken reported in August 1984 that fishermen were catching many fish on the new barge site.

Underwater cinematographer Malcolm Ludgate’s Pro-Image Productions produced a documentary titled “The Mystery of the Zanoni” in 1985. Forty years have now passed since that documentary was produced by Malcolm. Archaeologists have since recovered several artefacts from the wreck, including a large stove and the ship’s bell. The ship’s stove had to be recovered with the aid of huge airbags and winches. The bell was found underneath the stove.

I posted some photos of the recovery of the stove and bell and their conservation on Facebook in 2023. This has now been shared on Facebook in 2025. 

According to https://southaustralia.com/products/yorke-peninsula/attraction/the-zanoni-wreck , “Many of the artifacts retrieved from the wreck can now be viewed at the Ardrossan Museum. A short video about the Zanoni is available to watch in the Museum's Maritime room.”

According to https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-29/fishers-warned-steer-clear-of-protected-shipwrecks-or-be-fined/7793702 , “An underwater monument (at the wreck site) tells of the Zanoni's fate”.

Divers such as James Manna (2013) and Richard Harris  (2022) have posted video footage of their dives on the Zanoni.

The 1870 Wreck of the Electric at Glenelg

 

Two contrasting shipwrecks seemingly occurred in Australian waters in 1870. One was a steamship in Victorian waters and the other was a sailing ship in South Australian waters. The one in Victorian waters is said to be “one of the worst maritime disasters in Victorian history”. The one in South Australian waters, however, hardly rates a mention and very little is known about it.

So, what is the connection between these two incidents? The problem is that the Internet gets the two of them confused. An Internet search for “the ship electric lost at Glenelg 1870” receives the response that “SS Glenelg is historically significant as one of the worst maritime disasters in Victorian history, with the deaths of at least 38 people and only three survivors. The wreck has the potential for archaeological significance with some of the hull preserved under the sand.”

Even the Microsoft Copilot AI Assistant brought the SS Glenelg into the discussion. The only connection between the SS Glenelg  and the Electric is that the Electric is said to have been wrecked at Glenelg (30 years earlier). So why the confusion?

Although I have written about the Electric of 1865 in the past (“The emigrant ship Electric”), I hadn’t heard the complete story about it, and I hadn’t heard exactly what kind of ship the Electric was.

This was the first part of “The emigrant ship Electric”: -

(I have also previously written about the SS Glenelg i.e. “Aquability located the wreck the SS Glenelg on 28th June 2009 after several attempts. The Glenelg sank 55 miles west of Lakes Entrance, 7 miles offshore, …. on the 24th March 1900.”)

Only one of my SA shipwreck books seems to mention the Electric at all. It is “South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989” by Peter Cristopher.

I had not previously thought to investigate just why “South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989” was listing the Electric as a shipwreck that occurred on22nd September 1870, particularly when it seemed to mirror the vessel’s near stranding exactly five years earlier in 1865.

Certainly, I may have been able to query the location of the wrecking at Glenelg, as opposed to the near stranding at Marino Rocks, or that the ship was an immigrant ship in 1865, but a Mail Boat in 1870. No further information is given in “South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989”.

It has been suggested that the Electric was actually wrecked (at Glenelg) in November rather than September 1870. The September date in “South Australian Shipwrecks – A Data Base 1802-1989” almost mirrors the near-stranding date from 1865.

If indeed, the Electric really was wrecked off Glenelg in 1870, why does it not feature in books such as “Shipwrecks in South Australia (1836-1875) by Ronald Parsons, or “Wrecks on the South Australian Coast” by Jack Loney?

According to Wikitree, the Electric was a (sailing ship) of 1106 tons. According to https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/57884457 , “The Emigrant Ship Electric …. 1,106 tons, built at Quebec in 1857.”

After some long discussions with the Microsoft Copilot AI Assistant about the Electric, I was finally able to determine that, although the Electric is said to have been wrecked off Glenelg, the wreck was raised and removed.

According to Trove (Evening Journal Mon 26 Sep 1870), “Wreck Of The Glenelg Mailboat - In Friday's “Register” we mentioned the sinking of the Electric (Glenelg mailboat) during the heavy weather of the previous morning. It has since been raised, and now lies a complete wreck by the side of the Jetty. The boat, like most other small craft, was uninsured, and much sympathy is expressed for Mr. Pennington, upon whom the entire loss will fall.”

Glenelg jetty circa 1874

(This picture shows the Landing of the first mail” (1874) . It was from my own collection. The original picture was an engraving which was first published in the “Australasian Sketcher” on 21st March 1874, page 212. That copy of the picture is held by the National Library of Australia in Canberra. A copy of the picture features in the book “The Place of Waters” by Dulcie M. Perry, page 61.)

The fact that the wreck was raised and removed seems to be the reason that there are no details for the shipwreck on Nature Maps.

When I asked the Microsoft Copilot AI Assistant, “Was the ship Electric, that was near stranded at Marino Rocks in 1865, shipwrecked near Glenelg in 1870?

The Assistant’s response was, “Direct Answer: Yes — the Electric was the same ship. It narrowly avoided stranding at Marino Rocks in 1865, and five years later, in 1870, it was wrecked near Glenelg.

The Assistant went on to discuss the Electric in 1865, including as follows:

“In November 1870, the Electric was wrecked near Glenelg, South Australia. This was a complete loss, unlike the near-miss of 1865. The wreck is recorded in South Australian maritime history databases and memorials at Marino Rocks and Glenelg.

“Conclusion - The Electric had two major incidents in South Australian waters:

1865 – Near-stranding at Marino Rocks during its immigrant voyage.

1870 – Final wreck near Glenelg.”

“The Electric was wrecked near Glenelg in November 1870 after striking a reef during rough weather. The grounding tore open her hull, and she quickly became a total loss.”

I then told the Assistant, “There is much confusion over the date in 1870. 22/09/1870, rather than November 1870 has been mentioned. 22/9/1865 is the date given for the Marino Rocks near stranding.”

The Assistant’s response was:

“Direct Answer: The confusion arises because 22 September 1865 was the date of the Electric’s near-stranding at Marino Rocks, while her final wreck occurred in 1870. Some sources mistakenly conflate the two events, leading to references to 22 September 1870 instead of the correct later date.”

The Microsoft Copilot AI Assistant told me that (re the Electric being lost near Glenelg in 1870) “Some records give November 1870, while others incorrectly cite 22 September 1870, likely due to confusion with the earlier 1865 near-stranding date. The Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database confirms the wreck year as 1870, but does not list a precise day.”

But the South Australian Register 26^th September 1870 clearly indicates that the wrecking did, indeed, happen that month rather than in November that year.

Some accounts mention November 1870, which may reflect the timing of the inquiry or reporting rather than the actual day of loss.

The Microsoft Copilot AI Assistant later stated that, “Some accounts mention November 1870, which may reflect the timing of the inquiry or reporting rather than the actual day of loss.”

 

Australian Warships Scuttled as Dive Wrecks 1997-2011

My re-produced video Australian Warships Scuttled as Dive Wrecks 1997-2011 is now on my YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/qkkmwfnoH6U

 Clearly I haven't posted to this site for quite a while. Most of my work is posted on sites for the Marine Life Society of South Australia, the monthly newsletter for the Scuba Divers Federation of South Australia, the bi-monthly magazine Dive Log Australasia, and my own Wix site for the South Australian Archaeology Society at https://stevereynolds.wixsite.com/website .

The problem now is that I am unable to continue scuba diving anymore due to illness. I still hope to be able to write about my favourite subject, but first hand experience is now out of the question.

I may still return to this site from time to time, but that is largely unknown at this stage.

 Clearly I haven't posted to this site for quite a while. Most of my work is posted on sites for the Marine Life Society of South Australia, the monthly newsletter for the Scuba Divers Federation of South Australia, the bi-monthly magazine Dive Log Australasia, and my own Wix site for the South Australian Archaeology Society at https://stevereynolds.wixsite.com/website .

The problem now is that I am unable to continue scuba diving anymore due to illness. I still hope to be able to write about my favourite subject, but first hand experience is now out of the question.

I may still return to this site from time to time, but that is largely unknown at this stage.

NEW SITES BEING USED FOR POSTS

 Most new content is now being posted at the South Australian Archaeology Society's website at https://stevereynolds.wixsite.com/website and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/suhrsa/ . Further posts are being made to the website at Marine Life Society of South Australia Inc. – Understanding, enjoying and caring for our oceans (mlssa.org.au). Look for relevant categories such as Maritime History, Shipwrecks, Anchors, etc..

Two Japanese Aircraft Carriers found deep in the Pacific

Although I'm not keen on deep-water wrecks, the wreck of the Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga was discovered in October 2019. Another wreck thought to be either the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi or the Soryu has been found almost 5 1/2km deep in the Pacific Ocean. The crew of deep-sea explorers looking for WW2 warships were using an autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with sonar when the found this latest carrier over 2000km NW of Pearl Harbor. The vessel is said to have gone down in the Battle of Midway.