Wreck of the Nerong

History

The Nerong was a steel, twin-screw steamer built at Balmain in Sydney in 1903 and owned by the North Coast Steam Navigation Company. At 219 tons and about 37 metres long, she was built to work the shallow northern rivers, with two separate steam engines.

On 19 September 1917, heading north with a mixed cargo, she began taking on water in a strong gale off Norah Head. With a heavy list and no power, her crew tried without success to signal the Norah Head lighthouse, and they were only spotted just before she went down. The crew took to a lifeboat and were picked up by the steamer Canobar, but three people died: the chief engineer, the cook and a passenger.

The wreck

This is a classic coaster wreck: the boiler, the stern post and the usual tangle of fishing net. At under 40 metres long, the whole site can be seen in a single dive. Marine life on the wreck is good.

At this depth the Nerong needs technical training, gas planning and decompression experience.

Protected site

The Nerong is protected under the Commonwealth Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018, which covers wrecks more than 75 years old. You can dive it, but disturbing, damaging or removing anything without a permit is an offence.