Australasia – Lake Michigan Freighter Shipwreck (1896)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: AUSTRALASIA
• Type: Wooden Bulk Freight Steamer
• Year Built: 1884
• Builder: James Davidson, West Bay City, Michigan
• Dimensions: Length: 282 ft (85.9 m); Beam: 39 ft (11.9 m); Depth of hold: 21 ft (6.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 1,829 tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 21 m / 70 ft
• Location: Near Cana Island, Wisconsin
• Coordinates: Near Cana Island, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
• Official Number: 106302
• Original Owners: Unknown
• Number of Masts: 1

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The AUSTRALASIA was a wooden bulk freight propeller steamer, a type of vessel designed for carrying large amounts of bulk cargo such as coal, grain, and iron ore across the Great Lakes.

Key Features of Bulk Freight Steamers:

• Large cargo capacity—the AUSTRALASIA could carry over 2,200 tons of soft coal.
• Steam propulsion (screw propeller)—provided more reliability than sailing vessels, especially in bad weather.
• Heavily built wooden hull—James Davidson was one of the last shipbuilders to construct large wooden freighters, even as steel hulls became more common in the late 19th century.

The AUSTRALASIA was one of the larger wooden bulk carriers of its time, built just as steel-hulled vessels were beginning to dominate Great Lakes shipping.

Description

The AUSTRALASIA operated for 12 years, primarily transporting coal and other bulk goods between major industrial ports on the Great Lakes.

History

The AUSTRALASIA was built in West Bay City, Michigan, by James Davidson, one of the last major builders of large wooden steam freighters.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• 1884: Built in West Bay City, Michigan, by James Davidson, one of the last major builders of large wooden steam freighters.
• 1896, October 18: Lost in Whitefish Bay, Lake Michigan, due to fire.

Significant Incidents

• The vessel was en route from Lake Erie to Milwaukee, loaded with 2,200 tons of soft coal.
• A fire broke out aboard, possibly due to combustible coal dust or an engine room accident.
• The flames quickly spread, consuming much of the ship’s wooden structure.
• The Bailey’s Harbor Lifesaving Station rescued the entire crew before the ship burned to the waterline and sank.
• On October 23, L. Smith Towing was contracted for salvage.

Final Disposition

The AUSTRALASIA was lost on October 18, 1896, when it caught fire and burned to the waterline before sinking three miles east of Cana Island, near Jacksonport, Wisconsin.

The vessel was a total loss, and its remains were never rebuilt or recovered.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck of the AUSTRALASIA was rediscovered in 2013 near Cana Island, Wisconsin, in approximately 70 feet (21 m) of water.

The wreck remains largely intact, with sections of the burned hull and iron components visible.

• Current Condition: Hull structure and some mechanical parts remain visible
• Visibility: Moderate to good (depending on water conditions in Lake Michigan)
• Diving Accessibility: A popular dive site for experienced divers

Resources & Links

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The AUSTRALASIA was one of the last large wooden steamers built by James Davidson, operating for over a decade as a coal freighter before being lost to fire in 1896 near Jacksonport, Wisconsin. Its wreck remains a well-preserved example of late 19th-century Great Lakes shipping and is now a popular dive site near Cana Island, Wisconsin.