Wrecks in Jawbone Marine Sanctuary
Approximate location of three of Jawbone’s wrecks
Along the west edge of Jawbone are the remnants of 3 separate wrecks:
The Carmen
The Macedon
The Salsette
Capstan from an unidentified Ship in Jawbone
Source: Anthony Pearson
Within the bay of Jawbone (named for our purposes School Bay, S37 52.025, E144 52.887) can be found numerous remnants of an unidentified lighter that was scuttled there, including this capstan.
Carmen
The Carmen was built in about 1879. It was originally rigged as a brigantine and carried a variety of cargoes around the world.
It lost its masts in a storm in 1912, and was converted into a coal hulk/lighter varying cargoes to or from one of Melbourne's wharfs to larger ships which could not travel all the way to those wharfs.
For more information about the Carmen and the lightering trade click here.
Kakariki
The Kakariki was struck by SS Caradale on 29 January 1937 near the Gelibrand Pile Light. It sank within three minutes with the loss of five lives. The wreck posed a shipping hazard. After several unsuccessful attempts, it was broken into several pieces in 1945 and those pieces moved to a less hazardous location. For more information about the wreck click here. For information about the subsequent legal proceedings as to responsibility for the collision click here.
Agnes
The wreckage of the Agnes is probably to be found near mouth Kororoit Creek (S37 51.823, E144 52.344), or near the next embayment slightly to E.
Quite close by are several large sections of the Orange Grove, an iron lighter dumped in the 1940s (S37 51.915, E144 51.939). For more information about the wreck click here.
SALSETTE
The Salsette is believed to have been built in England in 1839 and used to transport immigrants from England in 1840, and again in 1853. It was later converted to a coal hulk but ran ashore and broke into pieces during a storm on 12 July 1925.
Remnants of the Salsette lie slightly west of the indent near the tip of the Rifle Range, in less than 1.8 metres of water with a number of iron fittings, bronze bolts and a hawse pipe.
For more information about the Salsette click here.