Visit Garden Island Ships' Graveyard, Port Adelaide, South Australia

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Garden Island ship graveyard is a collection of early 20th century ships near the Torrens Island bridge. Ships include the wooden hull of the six-masted sailing schooner known as the Dorothy H Sterling located in the middle of the channel. Close to the shore is the hull of the Santiago. This is in one of the 5 "ships graveyards" at Port Adelaide, where a number of old ships were simply abandoned at the end of their useful lives. The Garden Island ships' graveyard is the largest site, with 25 known vessels to have been abandoned between 1909 and 1945. Some of the ships: Dorothy H Sterlingwas a 6-masted wooden schooner built in Portland, Oregon, in 1920. It arrived in Port Adelaide with a cargo of timber during the Great Depression in 1929. It was seized for unpaid harbour dues and systematically dismantled. In 1932 the gutted hill was towed to North Arm and abandoned as a source of free firewood. Enterprisewas built in Sydney in 1868. It assisted in the construction of the Overland Telegraph and construction of the bridge at Murray Bridge. In 1913 it became a water-tender and was abandoned at Garden Island later that year. Flinderswas built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1878. It operated in the southeast Australian coastal trade for 33 years before being damagaed by fire and hulked in the North Arm. In 1931, it was beached at Garden Island and abandoned. Garthneillwas built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1895. It ran the grain trade between Europe and Australia, as well as other trades and routes. In 1921 it became Australia's only floating grain mill. In 1935 it was abandoned at Garden Island. Gemwas built at Yarra bank, Melbourne, in 1868. It worked as a ferry, then as a silt-pumping barge, then assisted the construction of Port Adelaide's No.2 Dock before being repurposed as a floating footbridge. It was laid up in 1927 then towed to Garden Island and abandoned. Glaucuswas built in Sunderland, England, in 1878. Used for coastal and interstate trade and then for grain storage at Williamstown in Victoria and Port Adelaide, it was broken up at Ethelton then towed to Garden Island and abandoned. Grace Darlingwas built in Hardinxveld, Netherlands, in 1907. It was used mainly in the local coastal passenger and cargo trade. It was abandoned at Garden Island in 1931 and only its bottom hull remains. Successwas built at Port Adelaide in 1910 and used as a ferry until it was refitted and renamedKillarneyin 1920. It was abandoned and broken up at Garden Island in 1928. Today the most prominent feature is the boiler. Lady Dalywas built in Williamstown, Victoria, in 1876. The schooner worked the SA coastal trade for more than 50 years before being abandoned at Garden Island in 1929. Manganawas built in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1876. It traded between Tasmania and mainland Australian ports and later to Sydney and Noumea. In 1901 it was hulked in Port Adelaide and then abandoned at Garden Island in 1931. Moewas built in Liverpool, England, in 1876, originally namedZoe. Subsequently namedGlyciniaand thenHebe, it was namedMoewhen purchased by a Melbourne business in 1912. From 1928, abandonment of the hulk at North Arm needed several attempts, with the hulk breaking free several times. It was finally laid to rest in 1931. Santiagowas built in Methil, Scotland, in 1856. The barque arrived in Australia in 1900 and was converted to a coal hulk in Port Adelaide in 1901. It was abandoned in the North Arm in August 1945 and is still relatively intact. Sarnia(No.4 Dredge) was built in Port Adelaide in 1878. It operated as a dredge at Port Adelaide and Port Pirie until it was converted to a coal hulk in the 1920s. After sinking in the Port River in 1926, it was transferred to the North Arm and abandoned. Seminolewas built in Mystic, Connecticut, in 1865. After working on both coasts of the United States,Seminolearrived at Newcastle in New South Wales in 1899, and was towed to Port Adelaide and used as a coal hulk. After a couple of fires on board, the vessel was abandoned at North Arm but little of the hull remains. Stanleywas built in Paisley, Scotland, in 1876. After an eagerly awaited arrival in Adelaide, its performance proved disappointing. The vessel was laid up and sold for demolition in 1930, but was moved to the North Arm and abandoned the same year. Very little remains. Sunbeamwas built in Kirkaldy, Scotland, in 1857. In 1886, the vessel was converted to a coal hulk in Melbourne. Soon after, it was brought to Port Adelaide and in 1910 it was abandoned in the North Arm. Today, the vessel is generally intact along its entire length. Canoe tours are regularly available from the Garden Island ramp including boats and dinghies. Paddling through the rudder of the Glaucus is a great experience.

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