Century-old mystery of lost ship solved by accidental discovery

The 120-year-old mystery of the lost SS Nemesis has been solved with the accidental discovery of the missing ship in waters south of Sydney.

The 73-metre-long vessel departed Newcastle on July 9 in 1904, with 32 crew members and loaded with coal destined for Melbourne.

It was last seen in distress in rough seas off Wollongong by another ship also caught in the storm.

In the weeks that came, bodies of crew members and fragments of the ship washed ashore at Cronulla Beach but the vessel was never found – until now.

The NSW government today announced remote sensing company Subsea Professional Marine Services stumbled across the wreck in 2022 while trying to locate cargo containers lost off the coast of Sydney.

The ship was found undisturbed about 26 kilometres off Port Kembla in Wollongong and approximately 160 metres underwater.

Heritage experts immediately suspected it was the SS Nemesis but were unable to confirm its identity until further underwater imagery was captured by CSIRO.

That vision also revealed why the ship sank that night. It is believed the engine became overwhelmed in the storm and went down quickly once it was hit by a large wave.

Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said the loss of Nemesis was “one of Sydney’s most enduring maritime mysteries”.

“Around 40 children lost their parents in this wreck and I hope this discovery brings closure to families and friends connected to the ship who have never known its fate,” she said.

Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said the wreck was part of the maritime history of the Illawarra and even influenced foreign policy during World War II.

“With only 105 of the more than 200 shipwrecks off the NSW coast having been discovered this is an important find,” he said.

The state government is now hoping to connect with the relatives of the crew members, including three men buried in an unmarked grave in Woronora Memorial Park at Sutherland.

The crew were from Australia and the UK, with one from Canada.

Those with a connection to SS Nemesis are asked to contact Heritage NSW.