History
The Eliza Ramsden was a 46m, 415 ton iron barque. She was built in 1874 by Samuel Ramsden, and named after his wife. In July 1875, she left Melbourne for Newcastle, in ballast. She struck Corsair Rock in the Rip, and the ebb tide caused her to be stuck fast. All crew were safely evacuated.
She floated clear on the rising tide, and a skeleton crew attempted to beach her near Nepean Bay. She became unmanageable, however, and sunk in the South Channel.

Historical Note:
One of the Eliza Ramsden's crew members was Tom Pearce, later to become famous as one of only two survivors in the sinking of the Loch Ard near Port Campbell in 1878.

The Wreck Today
The Eliza Ramsden lies in 21m of water in the South Shipping Channel. The bow points towards Point Lonsdale. Much of the superstructure has been removed by blasting, but the hull is amazingly intact.
Today the Eliza Ramsden provides a marvellous dive site for new and experienced divers alike. The bow rises 7m above the sandy bottom, and divers get a real buzz out of sitting on the sand and looking up at this towering structure. The stern is badly damaged. Many specie?s of fish inhabit the wreck, making it an excellent dive for photographers.
Inside the hull are many bluestone blocks, which the ship used for ballast. The reef which extends north from the Eliza?s stern, is also worth a look.

Hazards and Precautions
Being in the shipping channel, special permission is required to dive the Eliza Ramsden. It is only permissible to dive if there is no shipping using the South Channel within an hour either side of your dive.
The area experiences very strong tidal currents, so diving is only possible at slack water. As the tide can pick up quickly in this area, we recommend that total dive time be restricted to 30 minutes, and that the dive be terminated once the tide begins to run. Due to the effects of tides, it is sometimes not possible to complete planned decompression stops easily. Divers should plan conservative dive times to allow for this.