Wreck Dive - Speedwell

On 14 April 1888 on a voyage, from Newcastle to Sydney, the 350 ton barquentine "Speedwell" in ballast at the time, was wrecked upon a flat rock between Bird Island and Norah Head- one of the many victims of the notorious “Bully Nugget Reef” commonly called Bull Reef.

The Speedwell came under the shelter of Norah Head during a storm on the 14th of April 1884 and struck the Bull reef, mortally wounding the ship.

She soon took on water and sank very quickly, fortunately, being so close to shore the crew of ten, all escaped.

Captain Sampson believed that the sailing ship was caught by a strong whirlpool effect,  which swept the hull broadside onto the rocky reef, scattering the wreckage over a wide area, in fairly shallow water.

Very little remains of this once fine ship with only a large anchor and ships plating laying in shallow water, on the north western edge of the reef.

This dive site is a boat dive from Norah Head and requires a minimum of six divers to run.

Depth ranges 8 to 14 metres