Ship From 1911, That Even Served in WWII, Was Overtaken by Nature, Becoming a Floating Forest
The ship has a long history – it even served in World War II. Image credit: Russell Charters
Then in 1951, the ship was sold to R. W. Miller, and converted into a collier, and renamed to Ayrfield. In the next 21 years it transported coal between Newcastle and Miller’s terminal in Blackwattle Bay. After the vessel got decommissioned in 1972, it was sent to Homebush Bay. The plan was to dismantle the Ayrfield right at the bay, which also served as a ship-breaking yard at the time. The work had come to a halt, though, and the skeleton of the ship was left at the bay rusting away.
It stands abandoned there ever since, among other old shipwrecks. But what really makes the Ayrfield stand out is the way nature has enveloped it with hardy mangrove trees. The bursting trees growing over its hull provide a dramatic contrast to the bay’s now peaceful environment.
Then in 1951, the ship was sold to R. W. Miller, and converted into a collier, and renamed to Ayrfield. In the next 21 years it transported coal between Newcastle and Miller’s terminal in Blackwattle Bay. After the vessel got decommissioned in 1972, it was sent to Homebush Bay. The plan was to dismantle the Ayrfield right at the bay, which also served as a ship-breaking yard at the time. The work had come to a halt, though, and the skeleton of the ship was left at the bay rusting away.
It stands abandoned there ever since, among other old shipwrecks. But what really makes the Ayrfield stand out is the way nature has enveloped it with hardy mangrove trees. The bursting trees growing over its hull provide a dramatic contrast to the bay’s now peaceful environment.
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11 April 2023
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