Ship vanished without a trace in 1904 off Australia. Its wreckage has been found now

SS NEMESIS, a 73m steamship that disappeared off NSW in 1904. (Image: Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW/CSIRO)

Undersea explorers have unearthed the long-lost SS Nemesis, a ship that vanished without a trace off the Australian coast in 1904, in a breakthrough discovery that unravels a century-old maritime mystery. The vessel, caught in the merciless grip of a tempest near New South Wales, vanished with 32 crew members on board.

Subsea Professional Marine Services, on a quest for lost cargo in 2022, serendipitously stumbled upon the shipwreck, lying untouched beneath 525 feet of water, 16 miles offshore.

The SS Nemesis, engulfed by a powerful storm while transporting coal to Melbourne, witnessed its demise, leaving a media storm and public fascination in its wake. Despite the bodies and wreckage fragments washing ashore at Cronulla Beach weeks later, the ship's final resting place remained a perplexing puzzle.

Officials, suspecting the wreckage to be the elusive SS Nemesis, enlisted specialized underwater imagery to align distinctive features with historical photographs and sketches of the coal freighter.

Astonishingly, the iron wreck was found upright on a sand plain, its bow and stern bearing significant damage. The conclusive evidence pointed to the ship's engine failure during the storm, precipitating its descent into the ocean's depths.

NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage, Penny Sharpe, expressed hope that this revelation brings closure to families who lost ancestors aboard the SS Nemesis.

"Around 40 children lost their parents in this wreck," she stated. Australia's science minister, Ed Husic, commended the persistence of scientists, emphasizing the significance of this revelation for the descendants of the 32 sailors who met their tragic end.

Officials, urging families connected to the SS Nemesis, have called for their participation. The ship's sinking, happening rapidly after being struck by a colossal wave, left no time for the crew to deploy lifeboats.