S.S. Dicky wreck

A number of efforts were made to re-float the Dicky but on each occasion it beached and was eventually abandoned as a total wreck.

The wreck has long been an attraction to both tourists and locals, however it was badly eroded by ex-tropical cyclone Oswald in 2013. It continues to deteriorate and pose a safety risk, as remnants of the wreck are repeatedly exposed by erosion associated with natural costal processes.

Beach closure and warning

Did you know part of the beach is closed for safety?

A total of 40 metres of beach and ocean is closed. Two red flags and a sign in the dunes mark the area that is closed (20m either side of the SS Dicky Wreck).

This is because at certain times, sharp, submerged remnants of the SS Dicky wreck could be exposed due to erosion and could cause serious injury to beach goers, swimmers and surfers if they collide with it, especially at high tide when it’s not easily to see.

For your own safety - please keep clear!

Balancing heritage value and community safety

In 2013, the S.S. Dicky taskforce came together to evaluate and provide recommendations on how to balance the heritage value of the wreck and community safety.

As a result, portions of the S.S. Dicky were removed and have now been relocated a display in the nearby park.

The remaining part of the wreck has continued to deteriorate and in early 2023, Council deemed it extremely unsafe for our community and closed a section of the beach.

Council is exploring longer-term measures; such as removing or relocating the majority of, or the entire wreck, to safeguard this area into the future with the aim to reopen the beach when safe to do so.

Timeline

2013 - taskforce S.S. Dicky

A taskforce with members from council, Queensland Government, community heritage and the Dicky Beach Surf Life Saving club worked together to consider the future of the wreck.

2015 - parts of the wreck were removed following a strict protocol

On 18 June 2015, council endorsed the recommendation by the taskforce to:

remove the exposed stern, starboard and port ribs
continue to manage the loose pieces as the wreck breaks up into the future
leave the main portion of the wreck in situ
deliver a wreck interpretive display as part of a greater open space landscape plan for the area
conserve remaining removed pieces.

2015 - the S.S. Dicky documentary

A short film was released that documents the community connection to the historic shipwreck. View the S.S. Dicky documentary.

2016 - preserving the S.S. Dicky

3 replica bells are caste from the original bell for the interpretation display and 3D scans of the removed pie.

A 3D virtual reality tour of the S.S. Dicky is created to give an in-depth look at the vessel.

S.S Dicky 3D scans of salvaged wreck artifacts are created by DittoLabs on Sketchfab.

In the short term, other temporary protection measures have been implemented, including:

temporary partial bathing reserve closure 20 metres each side of the wreck (40 metres total)
installation of new prominent signage and red flags to identify the hazard and bathing reserve closure zone
increased public warnings from the Dicky Beach Surf Lifesaving Club
map and information flyer distributed to Dicky Beach Caravan Park and other relevant local businesses
Dicky Beach Surf Lifesaving Club to notify council of all incidents or hazards related to the wreck.

2024 - investigations continue

We are exploring other longer-term measures to safeguard this area into the future with the aim to reopen this area of the beach when it is safe to do so.