Wind farm discovers 1877 ‘ghost ship’ but the $500 million ‘Holy Grail’ wreck is still missing

The ocean hides more than just fish and forgotten treasures, it's a graveyard of stories where ships vanished and mysteries linger for generations. Every vessel wreck tells a tale of human ambition clashing with nature's fury, be it snapped shafts or stormy escapes.

One among these places on the planet is Australia's wild coast, dotted with hundreds of lost hulls, which keep pulling explorers back. They're portals to 19th-century drama, reminding us the sea still guards its secrets tightly.

Recently, a 150-year-old maritime puzzle was finally cracked with the discovery of the SS City of Hobart wreck off Australia's Gippsland coast, according to a LadBible report.

This iron steamer, hauling coal from Newcastle to Melbourne, sank in 1877 when its propeller shaft broke and punched through the hull, yet the captain and crew rowed to safety in lifeboats and were rescued the next day.

What was the long hunt like?

Divers led by Mark Ryan of Southern Ocean Exploration had chased leads since 2007, coming close but empty-handed. Ryan told 7News, "It clearly wasn't there. We knew we were close." Luck turned when a wind farm survey vessel for Iberdrola Australia's Aurora Green project pinged the site 30 km offshore, just beyond their grid, with confirmation coming after 20 years.

Ryan shared the thrill, saying, "To dive a wreck for the first time is amazing. To be the very first team on the wreck is mind blowing. Man, we've done it. We've got the City of Hobart. Such an amazing feeling. We'd been looking for this wreck for nearly twenty years."

Victorian gold worth $500 million still remains buried!

Victoria has around 660 recorded shipwrecks, but only about half have been found, according to maritime records. The real prize still missing is the SS Madagascar, which vanished in 1853 carrying Victorian gold now worth an estimated $500 million, often called the "holy grail" and a potential "discovery of the century."

Historian Peter Taylor described the urgency, according to LadBible, "Captain and crew had very little time to get the lifeboat and start rowing back to shore. Fortunately, a ship was passing by the next day and picked them all up."

Wind farm's unexpected role

Iberdrola's Renee Kurowski, senior stakeholder manager, said, “We are pleased that initial investigations for the Aurora Green project were able to contribute to verifying the identity of two important pieces of Australia’s and Victoria’s maritime history. Finds like this aren’t just fascinating, they’re important cultural records, and protecting them ensures these pieces of our history are documented for future generations,” according to a LadBible report.

She added, “This exciting find will help build a clearer picture of Australia’s maritime history. We appreciate the expertise and collaboration of SOE and the Commonwealth and Victorian heritage teams... As we progress through the development of Aurora Green, we remain committed to working with heritage authorities to ensure significant sites are respected and protected.”