Lady Elizabeth wreck, Rottnest (protected)
Protected historic wreck (Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 and the WA Maritime Archaeology Act): look and photograph, never touch, move or remove anything. The Lady Elizabeth was a barque of about 49 m built in Sunderland in 1869 that was lost in a gale on 30 June 1878 on a voyage from Fremantle to Shanghai, with no loss of life. She lies in Bickley Bay on a sandy bottom, with her bow wedged into the reef and parts of the hull and ribs exposed; depth is given as about 7 m (one source: about 10 m). One of the wrecks of the Rottnest Wreck Trail, which has plaques beside the wrecks.
Facts
- Region: Western Australia – Ningaloo, Rottnest & the south-west
- Area: Rottnest Island (Perth) – temperate
- Depth: 3–10 m
- Level: beginner
- Current: low
- Type: wreck, shore
- Coordinates: -32.0175, 115.54944
- Highlights: barque wreck, bow wedged in reef, ribs, limestone reef, wreck trail
- Tips: Boat or shore-assisted dive; shallow, so also good for snorkelling. Weather decides access. Position from the WA Museum and Fremantle heritage record (degrees and decimal minutes).