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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Shipwreck Hunters Australia and Western Australian Museum maritime archaeologists located two long-lost vessels off Western Australia: the passenger steamship SS Rodondo, lost in 1894, and the Norwegian barque Langstone, lost in 1902. The discoveries were announced in August 2025, following survey and confirmation work in November 2024.
Which shipwrecks were found?
The two vessels differ in type and historical context. The Rodondo was carrying passengers west during the Western Australian gold-rush era; the Langstone was a Norwegian iron-hulled sailing barque. ABC News reported that surviving objects and cargo help make the wrecks valuable historical records, but specific cargo details should not be inferred without the full wreck report.
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| Wreck | Vessel and context | Lost | Documented identification |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS Rodondo | Passenger steamship associated with gold-rush migration to Western Australia | 1894 | The Western Australian Museum records a survey from 27 to 30 November 2024; ABC describes the search as drawing on seabed-survey technology and historical evidence. A specific visual confirmation method is not stated in the cited accounts. ABC News; Western Australian Museum |
| Langstone | Norwegian iron-hulled barque | 1902 | Side-scan sonar detected a wreck on 12 November 2024. A BlueROV and then two divers using closed-circuit rebreathers provided visual confirmation; the wreck was identified at 45 metres depth. Western Australian Museum |
How did the search locate them?
The discoveries came from combining historical investigation with modern seabed surveying, rather than relying on a single search technique. ABC News reports that the team used historical records, inquiry reports, first-hand accounts, survey technology and luck. The search also illustrates how an expected location can be wrong: according to ABC, Langstone was found about a kilometre from the area where the team had expected it.
Langstone: sonar followed by visual checks
The Western Australian Museum gives the clearest account of the Langstone identification. After side-scan sonar detected a wreck on 12 November 2024, a BlueROV was deployed, followed by an inspection by two divers using closed-circuit rebreathers. Their images confirmed the vessel’s identity at 45 metres depth. The Museum’s record describes this as archaeological identification, not simply a sonar match.
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Rodondo: a separate survey
The Museum records the Rodondo survey as taking place from 27 to 30 November 2024. The available accounts do not establish that the two wrecks were found using identical procedures, so details of the Langstone inspection should not be applied to the Rodondo.
Why the wrecks matter
The Rodondo connects the discovery to the movement of people hoping to reach Western Australia’s goldfields. The Langstone and the objects preserved at both sites offer evidence of maritime life in their respective periods. In 2025, ABC News reported that the Western Australian Museum’s maritime archaeology database recorded more than 1,650 shipwrecks along the state’s coastline—a figure attributed to the Museum, not a count of wrecks newly discovered by the television team.
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Shipwreck Hunters Australia dive leader Ryan Chatfield said: “This is something that’s been hidden away by the ocean for over 100 years and now we can bring it back to life,” as quoted by ABC News. Museum curator Deb Shefi described finding Langstone as “quite an achievement” and said the wrecks had reached “this beautiful state of equilibrium in their underwater environment,” also quoted by ABC.
Protection and preservation
The Western Australian Museum says Langstone is automatically protected under the Commonwealth Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018 because it is more than 75 years old. That statement is specific to the Museum’s account of Langstone; it should not be treated as a full legal assessment of every site or a description of a separate preservation order.
ABC News quotes Shefi saying the wrecks would be preserved in situ and describing them as “time capsules” and a marine “oasis.” Those are her preservation comments, rather than a claim that every wreck is subject to an identical legal direction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When were the wrecks discovered?
The distinction is between fieldwork and public announcement: the Museum documents surveys and identification work in November 2024, while the discoveries were reported publicly on 26 August 2025. ABC News covered the announcement; the Museum provides the technical record for Langstone.
Where to watch Shipwreck Hunters Australia
The Western Australian Museum says seasons 1 and 2 of Shipwreck Hunters Australia are available on Disney+. Availability can vary by territory and over time, so check the service’s current catalogue in your region. Western Australian Museum
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