Exploring the Trinculo shipwreck on the 90 Mile Beach
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The remains of the iron barque Trinculo are lodged within the sand of the 90 Mile Beach in the beautiful region of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.
A short walk from the car-park is rewarded with sweeping views across the beach and the contrasting rust colour of the Trinculo shipwreck. Sadly, the Trinculo met its fate in 1879 when it was run ashore during gale force winds.
History of the Trinculo
The Trinculo was an iron barque built in 1758 in Bristol, England. What’s a barque I hear you ask? Collins Dictionary defines it as “a sailing ship of three or more masts having the foremasts rigged square and the aftermast rigged fore-and-aft”. So there you go, lesson in ships complete.
At the time of running ashore it had a crew of 9, with the Captains wife and child accompanying the Captain on the journey from Albany, Western Australia to Newcastle, New South Wales.
A dangerous coastline
The stretch of coast where the Trinculo shipwreck lies was a treacherous path, with many ships running ashore or sinking. The 90 Mile Beach, which as the names suggest is 90 miles long, has no coves or bays where ships can find safe harbour. Once the gale winds started these ships had limited options.
A daring rescue
An article from 6 September 1879 The Wreck of the Trinculo, describes the amazing efforts of the seamen Thomas Lefevre. Thomas swam ashore, braving the very rough waters, and maintained a line between the ship and the beach. This allowed a guide line for crew and family members to make it to shore.
Many people could not swim, and at one stage they thought the Captains 16 month old child had drowned during the rescue. But amazingly everyone survived.
According to the article, a cup of tea was all the Captains wife needed to be “brought round” after the harrowing ordeal. All hail a cup of tea for providing the comfort needed to recover from almost drowning!
Not only did they brave very rough seas, they were then stuck on the beach for 2 days until assistance arrived.
EXPLORE | There are more shipwrecks to explore in Gippsland as detailed in the Searching for Shipwrecks post.
Explore the beach
The stretch of coastline that is home to the shipwreck is clean, expansive and a gorgeous place for a wander.
We were lucky enough to find a hermit crab on our visit, and also didn’t see another person = private beach!
PLAN | Gippsland is a great region to visit anytime of the year as summarised in the Best time to visit Victoria post.
Cost to visit the Trinculo shipwreck
The Trinculo shipwreck is totally free to visit!
Getting there
Finding the Trinculo shipwreck is easy, just travel along Shoreline Drive around 6 km from Golden Beach or 20 km from Seaspray. The closest major centre is Sale for accommodation, food and further attractions. Sale also has a great Visitor Information Centre if you need further information about the region.
Tips for visiting the Trinculo shipwreck
Firstly, there are no facilities at the Trinculo shipwreck, not even a toilet or a water bottle refill point. The Golden Beach township has toilets, several shops, a playground and much more.
Viewing the wreck is best at low tide so check before you head off on your adventure. You can check tides for the area on Willy Weather.
Be mindful that depending on the shifting sands the wreck might not be very exposed. But the beach is beautiful and it wont be a wasted visit.
This is an unpatrolled beach and the water can be very rough (hence the shipwreck). I would not recommend swimming here, and you should also be careful anywhere along the 90 Mile Beach that is not patrolled.
Remember to be sun smart and dress for the weather conditions.
PLAN | The Best time to visit Victoria, Australia post provides planning advice for when to visit Victoria.
More information
Head to the Parks Victoria website or read the full article on The Wreck of the Trinculo on Trove (National Library of Australia).
Still want more? You can also read reviews on Trip Advisor.
EXTEND | Don’t want to stop exploring yet? Why not head into Sale and visit the Water Tower, Historic Swing Bridge or take a leisurely Port of Sale Heritage Cruise! The Gippsland Region has so much to offer!
Final thoughts on Trinculo Shipwreck
Whilst this shipwreck is not a huge attraction it does offer a glimpse into Gippsland’s history. The quiet, clean beach offers a beautiful location for walks or just sitting on the sand watching the waves crash.
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