Shipwrecks

The waters around Fraser Island have become the final port of call for many ships over the years. The list of ships here is not exhaustive.

Stirling Castle

Fraser Island was named after a Scottish sea captain, James Fraser and his wife Eliza. Under the command of Captain James Fraser, the brig, "Stirling Castle" set sail from Sydney for Singapore on 14 th May 1836. A week later it was stranded on Swains Reef, off present day Rockhampton. The survivors, including Captain Fraser and his wife Eliza, took to the boats and headed south to reach the settlement at Moreton Bay. Several days later they beached on K'gari, now known as Fraser Island.

Panama

Panama was a 2-masted brig, 223 & 98/3500th tons, 86.0 x 21.2 x 14,5, built in 1849 in Quebec, by J.A. Roe and Company. On 23 September 1851 her owners were John Thompson & Alfred Maning from Hobart. Robert George Gibbons of Launceston, Tasmania, purchased her on 27 September 1851 and sold the vessel again on 10 October 1851, when the registration was transferred to S. G. Henty at Portland Bay, Victoria.

Chang Chow

Fraser Island location: Breaksea Spit
Latitude (Degrees and Minutes'): 24º 35' S [Decimal Degrees -24.59841º] 
Longitude (Degrees and Minutes'): 153º 15' E [Decimal Degrees 153.25102º] 
Feature Number=4417 1:100 000 map no. 9548 SG5603C4251411

Marloo

The SS Marloo was a steel steamer of 2628 tonnes. Formerly the "Franceso Crispi", it was constructed in Newcastle on Tyne, England, in 1891. Purchased by the Adelaide Steamship Company, the Marloo collided with Sandy Cape Shoal, just north of Fraser Island, began taking on water, and then was beached on the Island on 27th September 1914. All crew and passengers were rescued, and it was later decided the collision had occurred due to the Captain's negligence.

Marloo Bay 

Latitude (Degrees and Minutes'): 24º 54' S [Decimal Degrees -24.91508º]
Longitude (Degrees and Minutes'):153º 19' E [Decimal Degrees 153.31769º]
Feature Number=21028 1:100 000 map no. 9548 SG5603C19762398

Information on this page courtesy of Manfred's Bushwalking.