Discovery of the Sunken Ship
The steamship SS Nemesis, lost at sea in 1904, has been identified more than a century later. Initially found accidentally by a remote sensing company searching for sunken cargo boxes, the wreck was officially confirmed by Australia’s national science agency in September 2023.
Revisiting a Maritime Tragedy
Underwater imagery revealed the vessel’s distinctive features, shedding light on the ship’s fate. It was determined that the SS Nemesis succumbed to a large wave off the coast of Wollongong, sinking too quickly for lifeboats to be deployed. The vessel, with 32 crew members on board, now rests upright on a sand plain 525 feet underwater.
Bringing Closure to Families
The Australian, British, and Canadian crewmembers lost in the tragedy have families scattered across the globe. The government is now committed to locating and informing the descendants of those who perished in the wreck. Approximately 40 children lost their parents in this disaster, and officials hope that the discovery of the ship brings closure to those connected to the SS Nemesis.
Continued Investigation and Heritage
The CSIRO will create a 3D model of the wreck for further study using the video imagery collected during the survey. This finding marks the end of one of Sydney’s most enduring maritime mysteries, with officials emphasizing the collaborative effort that led to the final chapter in the SS Nemesis’ story. The discovery follows the recent locating of the MV Blythe Star, another shipwreck off the Australian coast, highlighting the ongoing effort to uncover the region’s maritime history.