The SS Koombana was considered the pride of the Adelaide Steamship Company fleet and was well known for its luxurious operations off Australia’s coast. Built and launched in Glasgow in 1908, the ship was used as a primary source of transport between Fremantle and the west coast ports from Geraldton to Wyndham, including Port Hedland, now the largest port in Australia.

On March 20th 1912, the ship departed Port Hedland Harbour and commenced its voyage to Broome, however all 157 passengers, crew and ship were lost due to a severe cyclone.

A number of searches were conducted at the time, but only succeeded in the recovery of some wreckage found 75 Nautical Miles north North East of Port Hedland and between 20 and 64 nautical miles west of Bedout Island. At a position 19° 01' S., 118° 53' E. Historical sources detail that members of this search witnessed wreckage floating up to the surface. However, more contemporary searches in this area have found no evidence of the SS Koombana. 

A conversation held in June 2022 with Mr Arnold Carter, a guide at the Port Hedland Koombana Exhibit, and long time Port Hedland resident informed MAAWA member Greg Flowers, that there were multiple accounts from fishing companies that had lost gear off the coast of Port Hedland in the 1980s. The “loss of a lot of fishing gear” was said to be the result of equipment being caught by obstruction in water depths roughly 70 to 80 meters. 

Further discussion with local recreational fisherman indicated that there is an increased use of larger recreational fishing vessels fitted with quality electronic equipment. These vessels can travel many miles off the coast of Port Hedland in search of unexplored fishing spots. This may increase the chances that the wreck is encountered by recreational fishermen.. 

Recent searches involved a variety of methods including aerial magnetometer surveys, Ship mounted scanning sonar and visual searches from the air. The search locations have been informed by reported sightings from aircraft, investigations of nets lost on debris, estimation of likely wreck locations via the search reports made in 1912, and wreck locations informed by flotsam drifting modeling. 

The searches were conducted via helicopters, Thomson Airborne PTY LTD, US navy aircraft, Australian Navy vessels and Survey vessels. 

While some early reports indicate the wreck is located North West of Bedout island, the current searches have not been successful and therefore the Maritime Archaeological Association of Western Australia (MAAWA) are interested in any potential locations off the north west coast. 

What would the Koombana look like as a wreck?

Due to the unique circumstance of each wreck, only estimations can be made of what the Koombana may look like. Originally the ship had a length of roughly 100m (340ft), however the wrecking event may have caused the ship to break off into sections. The Koombana’s original dimensions and mass can be seen below. 

Koombana Dimensions 

Length 340 ft (103) m Breadth 48 ft Depth of Hold 28 ft

4399 tonne (mass) 

A similar sized ship that wrecked off the coast of Queensland can be used as a reference for what the Koombana may currently resemble. The SS Yongala was also built for the Adelaide Steamship Company and capable of transporting passengers and freight. The ship had a similar design and tonnage of 3664 (mass) to the Koombana and was completing a voyage from Mackay to Townsville (1911) when a cyclone hit the area causing its disappearance. 

All 122 people on board, this included passengers and crew, were lost and the ship was officially missing on March 26th, 1911. After its initial discovery in the late 1940s, divers and archaeologists from the Maritime Museum of Townsville have uncovered many artifacts over time, including the ship's bell, The SS Yongala at a length of 109m remains one of the most intact and largest historical wrecks found in Australia. The ship rests on the sandy ocean floor with its starboard side inclined, submerged in roughly 30m of water with its tallest sections only 15m from the surface.

After more than 100 years, the wreck has created the foundations for a thriving marine ecosystem and a historical site that attracts thousands of tourists each year. 

Modeled diagrams of the wreck indicate a loss of the lighter upper deck, revealing areas of the inner ship such as the main steam engine and the boiler casing and uptakes, as well as the rear and forward mast damaged and broken either during wreckage or over time. As there are many similarities between the SS Yongala and the SS Koombana, this information can be a good basis for what the Koombana may currently resemble.

The images below of the SS Yongala, note that in an aerial photograph its outline is clearly visible, indicate what the wreck of the SS Koombana may look like.