SS Alert
Quick Facts
Vessel Type: Iron screw steamer
Built: 1877 in Dumbarton, Scotland
Owner: Huddart Parker & Co. (at the time of loss)
Sank: December 28, 1893
Wreck Discovered: June 2007 (by SOE)
Location: Off Cape Schanck, Victoria
Depth: ~75 meters
Cause of Sinking: Foundered in hurricane-force winds and heavy seas
The Story of the SS Alert
After being built in Scotland in 1877 for the Australian shipping company - Huddart & Paker, the SS Alert sailed to Australia as a three-masted schooner with her funnel and propeller stowed in the hold . The Alert was used primarily for carrying passengers and cargo between Melbourne and Geelong and provided 16 years of reliable service. Replacing the SS Despatch on the Gippsland to Melbourne run, the ship foundered in stormy seas near Cape Schanck on the 28th December 1893 with fifteen lives lost.
The Australian Shipping Company Huddart & Parker SS Alert
The ships cook, Robert Ponting, was the only survivor when he grasped portion of a cabin door and clung to it for sixteen hours before staggering on to the beach about 15 km from where the Alert foundered. That morning he was found unconscious and half buried in the sand on the back beach of Sorrento by four young ladies. They sheltered him as best they could with their cloaks and umbrellas until a man, Austin Stanton and his St. Bernard dog, Victor Hugo, appeared and rendered first aid. The dog nestled close to Ponting keeping him warm while further assistance was sought. The loss of the vessel saw not only a Court of Marine Inquiry but also civil action against owners Huddart Parker by the wife of the second engineer who had been lost in the disaster. She eventually won her case.
The Discovery (2007)
For over a century, the wreck of the SS Alert remained missing, serving as a poignant maritime mystery for the Victorian coast. In June 2007, the Southern Ocean Exploration (SOE) team finally located the wreck resting upright in approximately 75 meters of water.
Using advanced sonar and deep-diving techniques, the SOE team was able to positively identify the vessel. The wreck is beautifully preserved in the deep water, now acting as a vibrant artificial reef for local marine life and offering a sense of closure to the 1893 tragedy. The Alert lies in 75 metres of water approximately 10kms south west of 10kms south west of Cape Schank.
The 2019 Looting Incident
The 2019 Looting Incident
Tragically, during a routine inspection dive on Sunday, July 7, 2019, SOE divers discovered that the historic site had been systematically looted. Heritage artifacts that had remained untouched on the seabed for over a century were completely stolen from the wreck.
The desecration of this maritime grave site caused widespread outrage across the diving and heritage communities and was featured in a dedicated Channel Seven News report to highlight the destruction of Victoria's underwater history.
