Abstract
<p>In February 2011, north Queensland experienced one of the largest and most severe tropical cyclones on record. Category 5 Cyclone Yasi caused substantial structural damage not only on land, but also at sea, including to the historic shipwreck of the <em>SS Yongala</em>. The <em>Yongala</em> is of high cultural and natural heritage value and is a major dive tourism attraction. As part of a Queensland Government initiative to document the degree of damage by Cyclone Yasi, changes to its structure were documented by comparative analysis of multibeam bathymetry data of the wreck collected in August 2004 and May 2011 (i.e. pre- and post-Yasi respectively). The storm had a significant physical impact on the c.110m-long wreck. The most pronounced changes occurred in the forward section of the wreck. A 35m section forward of the central deck citadel has rotated around its own axis and the bow dropped more than 5m in depth. Minor deformations were observed at the stern of the wreck and debris was identified on the seafloor around the wreck. The impacts of the cyclone will exacerbate deterioration. It is very likely that the wreck’s hull will rupture in the short- to medium-term, especially if further extreme weather events occur. Together with visual observations, the results of this study will inform ongoing site management by contributing to the identification of key risk areas, and help to establish policies and procedures to address damage to the wreck’s integrity in the future.</p>
Highlights
The Wreck of the SS Yongala Adelaide Steamship Company vessel Yongala was a luxury passenger steamer
Data Collection-Post Yasi High-resolution multibeam bathymetry data were recorded on the wreck site with a pole-mounted multibeam echosounder RESON Seabat 8101 on 13 May 2011
Multibeam data were time-stamped with a one-pulse-per-second signal from the GPS, eliminating time delays between sensors
Summary
The Wreck of the SS Yongala Adelaide Steamship Company vessel Yongala was a luxury passenger steamer. On 23 March 1911, the vessel left Mackay for Townsville carrying at least 122 people (Marine Board of Queensland 1911:2). The Yongala was last sighted by the light keeper at Dent Island five hours after departing Mackay (Brisbane Courier 21 June 1911:5; Moran 2001:14). Communications at the time were limited and the ship departed Mackay without knowing that it was sailing into a cyclone, which caught and sank the vessel with the loss of all on board (Moran 2001:13). The Marine Board of Queensland was satisfied with the ability of the captain and the seaworthiness of the vessel and concluded that the cause of the loss of the ship was unknown. Definitive proof of its identity was provided in 1958 by the serial number of the recovered purser’s safe (Gleeson 2000:96-102; Moran 2001:21-22)
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