Tamerlane

The Tamerlane

Lying in 101m of water and dived by WreckSploration in October 2024 this site took a lot of researching by the museum to eventually be identified as the Tamerlane

From the WA Museum (Ross Anderson and Aurora Philpin)

There are four iron coal hulk wrecks in the Graveyard with a length of around 60m, Site 06 (Clipper Wreck), Site 07, Site 34 and Site 35
There are only two historically recorded scuttled hulks in the Rottnest Ships’ Graveyard of ~60m length: Bankfields and Tamerlane
Site 06 remains unidentified as it does not appear to be Bankfields or Tamerlane due to masts configuration
Site 07 matches Tamerlane with flat counter stern, beakhead bow, and masts configuration
Site 07 is in 101m depth 6.2 miles from Cape Vlamingh, Tamerlane was reported sunk in 55 fathoms/ 340 feet (103m) between 6-7 miles from Cape Vlamingh

The Tamerlane was involved in a collision with SS Dimboola in Fremantle and sank. It was raised the largest marine salvage operation undertaken in WA up to that time. The force of the collision was so great that her heavy steel frames and plates were crumpled up like matchwood, the vessel sinking in a few minutes in 36ft. of water, with only the tops of her mast showing above water. The work of removing her was beset with many difficulties owing to the fact that in order to facilitate the rapid handling of coal the hatches had been enlarged to three and four times their original size, and to do this the deck beams had been cut out and all the hatch combings [sic] destroyed, thus, weakening the structure to such an extent that it was almost impossible to make her watertight….’ (The West Australian Friday 25 April 1919, p.8, col. f. Reference Link)

This model was made possible due to the support of our sponsors for the 2023/2024 season.
Advantage Air Australia
Dodd Group
Mondo Electronics
Funding for this dive was contributed to by WA Heritage Council.

Dived and modelled October 2024

3D Model

Animation