Francis Henty

Wreck Dive | Shore access

Iron Steam Dredge | Max Depth: 4 m (13 ft)

Francis Henty Dive | © Phil Watson

The Francis Henty shipwreck lies in 3 to 4 metres of water near the north-western end of the rocky Sandringham Pier Breakwater. Part of the old hulk, now covered in weed, mussels and sea squirts, is exposed at low water.

Diving and Snorkelling the Francis Henty Shipwreck

The are deck beams still in place, plus some internal bulkhead uprights still intact. Along the starboard side of the ship, some fallen shell plating can be observed. The port side is covered by breakwater rocks. Turbine rotor near stern.

Francis Henty Shipwreck History — Built in 1889

The Francis Henty was built in 1889, by William Simons and Co. in Renfrew, Scotland. Initially a dredge, the Frances Henty was later used as a cable layer. She was 146.5 ft (45 m) in length, with a beam of 32.2 ft (9.81 m), and a depth of 11.3 ft (3.44 m).

Francis Henty Sinking — Scuttled 1949

The Francis Henty was scuttled to form a breakwater by the harbour authority in 1949.

See also, Australian National Shipwreck Database: Francis Henty, and
Heritage Council Victoria: Francis Henty.

Heritage Warning: Any shipwreck or shipwreck relic that is 75 years or older is protected by legislation. Other items of maritime heritage 75 years or older are also protected by legislation. Activities such as digging for bottles, coins or other artefacts that involve the disturbance of archaeological sites may be in breach of the legislation, and penalties may apply. The legislation requires the mandatory reporting to Heritage Victoria as soon as practicable of any archaeological site that is identified. See Maritime heritage. Anyone with information about looting or stolen artefacts should call Heritage Victoria on (03) 7022 6390, or send an email to [email protected].

Boon Wurrung / Bunurong country

Traditional Owners — This dive site is in the traditional Country of the Boon Wurrung / Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation. This truly ancient Country includes parts of Port Phillip, from the Werribee River in the north-west, down to Wilson's Promontory in the south-east, including the Mornington Peninsula, French Island and Phillip Island, plus Western Port. We wish to acknowledge the Boon Wurrung as Traditional Owners. We pay respect to their Ancestors and their Elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Bunjil the Creator Spirit of this beautiful land, who travels as an eagle, and Waarn, who protects the waterways and travels as a crow, and thank them for continuing to watch over this Country today and beyond.

 

Francis Henty Location Map

Latitude: 37° 56.529′ S   (37.942158° S / 37° 56′ 31.77″ S)
Longitude: 144° 59.540′ E   (144.992334° E / 144° 59′ 32.4″ E)
Datum: WGS84 | Google Map | Get directions
Added: 2012-07-22 09:00:00 GMT, Last updated: 2022-04-27 08:50:45 GMT
Source: Google Earth
Nearest Neighbour: J7 Submarine, 242 m, bearing 122°, ESE
Cable layer, steamer hulk.
Built: Renfrew, Scotland, 1889.
Sunk: 1949.
Sandringham, Bayside, Port Phillip.
Depth: 3 to 4 m.

DISCLAIMER: No claim is made by The Scuba Doctor as to the accuracy of the dive site coordinates listed here. Should anyone decide to use these GPS marks to locate and dive on a site, they do so entirely at their own risk. Always verify against other sources.

The marks come from numerous sources including commercial operators, independent dive clubs, reference works, and active divers. Some are known to be accurate, while others may not be. Some GPS marks may even have come from maps using the AGD66 datum, and thus may need be converted to the WGS84 datum. To distinguish between the possible accuracy of the dive site marks, we've tried to give each mark a source of GPS, Google Earth, or unknown.