Template:POTD/2024-08-26

Picture of the day

George Roper was a four-masted iron barque that was built for service between England and Australia, launching from Liverpool in February 1883. On its maiden voyage, it carried 3,842 tons of cargo, including railway track for the Victorian Government, liquor, chemicals, drapery, and dynamite. It reached Australia in July, but got caught on the reef at Point Lonsdale while being towed into Port Melbourne. The ship sat there for nearly two months before breaking up and sinking on 26 August 1883. The wreck remains under 4–5 metres of water and is accessible to recreational divers. This photograph by the German-born photographer Fred Kruger shows George Roper's wreck at Point Lonsdale before it sank.Photograph credit: Fred Kruger; restored by Adam Cuerden