The Glenelg set off from Lakes Entrance, east of Melbourne, on March 25, 1900 on a regular short run to Bairnsdale.
The iron steamer's captain Thomas English is believed to have double-checked the ships two lifeboats moments before sailing, telling bystanders it was always best to be prepared.
The lifeboats were used by the ship's only three survivors when it ran into bad weather and monstrous waves not long after leaving shore.
Survivors told a marine board inquiry they heard a crash before water began to fill the ship.
More than a century later, their evidence helped a group of wreck divers discover the Glenelg lying upright on the sea bed...[Link]