A ship lost at sea 120 years ago has been accidentally discovered, putting an end to a centuries-old mystery.
The SS Nemesis left Newcastle in New South Wales on 8 July 1904 and was en route to Melbourne with 32 crew on board when it sank and disappeared in a storm.
The wreckage was found after Subsea Professional Marine Services, a company that searches for lost cargo containers, stumbled upon the wreckage in 2022.
It was located at the bottom of the ocean, 26 kilometers off the coast of Kembla, south of Sydney.
Due to its location in deep, high-current water, it took NSW Heritage experts two years to analyze the evidence to confirm the intact wreck was the Nemesis.
The SS Nemesis has been missing for 120 years and had 32 crew members on board. The coal ship left Newcastle in 1905 (pictured, port side). A wreck found in 2022 was thought to be the Nemesis, but has only been confirmed.
The crew, who were from Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada, left behind about 40 children. The New South Wales Government has launched a global call so relatives can finally know what happened to their ancestors (pictured on the starboard side of the SS Nemesis)
CSIRO was a crucial part of the process and captured underwater images, allowing NSW Heritage to see the distinctive features of the wreck and compare them with photographs and sketches of the ship.
The images also showed the iron ship upright with “significant damage to the bow and stern.”
It is now believed that the engine was “overwhelmed” during the storm and when it was hit by a large wave, the ship sank too quickly for the lifeboats to be used.
The 73 meter coal ship, which had its hold full of coke and coal on board, was last sighted near Wollongong by another ship, and had encountered a southerly gale.
Relief rockets had been launched during the storm and were seen off Port Hacking, south of Sydney.
There were search parties when the ship disappeared, but it was never found.
At the time, the disappearance of Nemesis was big news and, for several weeks, the bodies of crew members washed ashore at Cronulla Beach, south of Sydney.
Parts of the ship also appeared, such as fragments of the ship’s steering wheel and its doors.
The wreckage (above) and bodies washed ashore at Cronulla Beach for several weeks and were big news in 1905.
NSW Heritage was able to compare CSIRO’s vision with old photographs and sketches of the SS Nemesis (pictured)
NSW Environment and Heritage Minister Penny Sharpe said the loss of the Nemesis had been an “enduring mystery”.
‘[It] Even shipwreck researchers have described it as the “holy grail,” he said.
“Through collaborative working with CSIRO and Subsea, using modern technology and historical records, Heritage NSW has been able to write the final chapter of the SS Nemesis story.”
Heritage NSW said the crew, including Captain Lusher, were from Australia, the United Kingdom and one from Canada.
Unfortunately, they had left behind about 40 children.
The New South Wales government is now searching for relatives in a global appeal, so they can finally find out what happened to their relatives.
Scientists now believe that the SS Nemesis’ engine was overwhelmed by a storm and suffered damage to the bow and stern (pictured, Nemesis’ aft hatch and engine).
The CSIRO assisted NSW Heritage by taking an extensive and detailed underwater view of the wreck, which ultimately helped identify the ship as the SS Nemesis.
Federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said he admired the determination of scientists to solve this centuries-old mystery.
“Everyone involved should be enormously proud of this discovery and the comfort it will bring to the descendants of the 32 sailors who died aboard the SS Nemesis,” he said.
Ed Korber, of Subsea Professional Marine Services, said it was an honor to discover the SS Nemesis and hoped it would help families who lost someone on board.
“Our marine and remotely operated vehicle team has overcome difficult challenges to obtain the incredible first images that have allowed Heritage NSW to confirm that this is indeed the wreck of the Nemesis,” he said.
Member for Wollongong, Minister Paul Scully, said the find is part of the port city’s “rich maritime history”.
“Given that only 105 of the more than 200 shipwrecks have been discovered off the coast of New South Wales, this is an important find,” he said.