Eliza Ramsden

Built in Glasgow Scotland in 1874 for Samuel Ramsden of Melbourne and named after his wife she cost 10,000 pounds. She was a three masted iron barque, length 151 ft beam 27 ft and a gross tonnage of 415 tons. The vessel sunk in 1875 on her first voyage out of Melbourne when she struck Corsair rock on her way to Newcastle. The Eliza was abandoned without loss of life, but floated free overnight and slowly drifted back into the bay and sank where she now lies. Unfortunately she rests right on the edge of the shipping channel and posed a danger to vessels using the channel. For many years her masts remained above sea level and so she wasn't a real danger until her masts finally collapsed in the 1960's and then she needed to be demolished with explosives. The vessel now lies upright in 14 metres to the top of the bow and around 20 metres at the stern, which is quite badly broken up however the donkey boiler is still visible. She sits on the seabed facing east west with her bow to the west. She should be dived only at slack water and a shipping check must be conducted. Location: Port Phillip Bay Depth: 14m to 18m Subject to shipping: Yes