Storm surges from ex-tropical Cyclone Alfred have unearthed historic shipwrecks along Australia’s east coast, revealing long-buried maritime relics in both New South Wales and Queensland.
At Ballina, in northern New South Wales, shifting sands have uncovered what is believed to be the remains of The Comet, a paddle steamer that was wrecked in 1890, according to ABC News.
Curator of the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum, Ron Creber, told the outlet the area is a known shipwreck graveyard, with as many as 64 shipwrecks recorded off the coast and in the Richmond River.
“This is only a guess, but I think it’s The Comet, a single-screw wooden steamship which was wrecked on the Richmond River spit in March 1890,” Mr Creber told said. He added that while parts of the wreck had surfaced briefly in October last year before being covered by sand again, it is now more exposed than ever.
“The ship is really exposed in a dangerous part of the beach because that’s the main swimming section,” he said, warning that some visitors had already begun vandalising the site.
A spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water urged the public to “admire it from a distance”. In New South Wales, shipwrecks are protected by law, with fines of up to $1m for damaging or disturbing them.
Further north, rough seas have also exposed parts of the SS Dicky at Dicky Beach on the Sunshine Coast, a shipwreck that had been buried for safety reasons in 2015. The SS Dicky, a steamer travelling from Rockhampton to Brisbane in 1893, was forced ashore by strong gales and remained a landmark on the beach for over a century.
John Groves, a historian and co-author of a book on the wreck, said the site was an important part of local heritage.
“It’s the only surf beach in Australia named after a shipwreck,” he told Sunshine Coast News.
Photographer Tracey Keeley, who has captured images of the wreck over the years, told the outlet she was pleased to see it resurface.
“Oh, I definitely miss it. It was such an iconic photography subject, especially at sunrise,” she said.
Ex-Cyclone Alfred has caused widespread coastal erosion along Australia’s eastern seaboard, with maritime experts saying more shipwrecks could emerge as sand shifts.
Mr Creber said Byron Bay, which suffered significant erosion, may also see previously buried wrecks resurface.
“In just one night, they had five shipwrecks there in the past,” he said.
Remnants of Alfred continues to pound Queensland and NSW with heavy rainfall with several flood alerts still in place and over 300,000 people under a blackout.
