SS Riverina
From Our Contribution
 | |
 Aground at Mallacoota, Victoria | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | SS Riverina |
| Owner | Huddart, Parker & Co. Melbourne |
| Builder | James Laing & Sons Ltd., Sunderland, England |
| Launched | 1905 |
| In service | 1905 |
| Out of service | 1927 |
| Fate | ran aground (Wrecked) |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | coastal shipping |
| Tonnage | 4,793 tons |
| Length | 112.8m |
| Beam | 15.2m |
| Depth | 8.2m |
| Propulsion | single screw |
| Speed | 17 knots (31.48 km/h) |
| Capacity | 142 passengers |
Remarks
The SS Riverina was built in 1905 in Sunderland, England. The ship operated on the Australian coastline until grounding off Mallacoota on the Victorian coastline in 1927. On 17 Apr 1927, the vessel was driven ashore in a squall & wrecked 1.5 miles west of Gabo Island, Victoria, on a voyage from Hobart to Sydney with 142 passengers. The grounding and wreck became a focal point for the region and remains an important event in the region’s history. Lifeboats were used to ferry passengers ashore from the vessel. Unsuccessful salvage attempts were made (but teak & other materials were scavenged). A tourist attraction for many years & could be boarded in good weather. During WW2, the wreck was bombed & strafed by the R.A.A.F. Little is left today apart from bow & stern posts visible at low tide.
Men who were enroute to England in late 1918 aboard the SS Carpentaria were off loaded, due to the conclusion of hostilities, presumably in Fremantle, and they returned to Sydney aboard SS Riverina, arriving there on 28 Nov 1918.