Curtin Artificial Reef: Brisbane’s Historic Dive Site in Moreton Bay

In 1967, the members of the Underwater Research Group of Queensland had a very novel idea of creating a dive site in Brisbane’s Moreton Bay, and a year later, after getting permission and surveying a site on the inner sideof Moreton Island, they sunk an old dredging barge, thus creating the world’s first artificial reef built by divers for divers: Curtin Artificial Reef. Helen Rose and Nigel Marsh explain

History of the Curtin Artificial Reef

Over the next 30 years, the dive club added 25 vessels to the reef, including gravel barges, tugboats, sand carriers, a yacht, a trading vessel, a ferry, a drydock gate, an old Brisbane tram and even two whale chasers from the old whaling station at nearby Tangalooma. In addition to this they scuttled pontoons, buoys, car bodies and old tyres. Today, Curtin Artificial Reef covers a large area, around 400 metres by 120 metres, with depths varying from 12m to 30m.

All the vessels were prepared and sunk by the dive club, with Frank Curtin a leading figure in the creation of the reef. He was also a dab hand with explosives when it came to sinking the vessels. In honour of his work behind the scenes, the reef was named after him.

Today Curtin Artificial Reef is one of the most-popular diving and fishing spots off Brisbane. The site is best dived on the high tide, as it is tidal, and is also fun as a drift dive at other times. Visibility at the site is generally around ten metres, yet can vary from six metres to 30 metres, and is usually at its clearest after a week of southerly winds.

Wrecks You Can Explore at Curtin Artificial Reef

On a typical dive you can generally explore around five vessels. Most have been positioned close together, so you can easily navigate between them. Some of my favourite vessels to explore include the 35-metre-long tugboat Melbourne. Located almost at the centre of the reef, you use to be able to explore the interior of this wreck, but over the years it has become full of sand.

South of this is the 32-metre-long Barrambin, a coal and gravel barge. Siting on the deck of this ship is an observation station built by club members, which has sadly fallen on its side. Heading north divers can explore the huge Cairncross Drydock Gate, the gravel barge Estrella Del Mar, the tugboat Lovenstein, and the barges Bremer and Amsterdam. Most of the vessels still have their props, and divers can explore cabins, engine rooms and the cavernous hulls of the barges. The largest vessel at the site is the 40-metre-long Lady Norman. A coastal trader, this vessel is a little hard to find as it sits by itself 50 metres west of the Melbourne.

With all the vessels resting on a sandy bottom, and the sands constantly moving with currents and storms, each time you dive the site is different. Vessels get covered by sand at times, and then uncovered, with the tram disappearing from view several times. The shifting sands have also filled the interiors of many of the vessels. However, some of the vessels can be penetrated by experienced divers, just ensure you have the training and the equipment to do this safely.

Being down for such a long time, all of the vessels are covered in hard corals, soft corals, black coral trees, gorgonians, sponges, algae and ascidians. However, stinging hydroids also decorate some of the vessels, so watch where you place your hands if not wearing gloves.

Marine Life at Curtin Artificial Reef

While the vessels, pipes and other items are fun to explore, the main attraction at Curtin Artificial Reef is the prolific marine life. When the sandy bottom was first surveyed in 1967, only two species of fish were observed by members of the dive club. Now several hundred fish species populate the site, along with a wonderful variety of invertebrates.

The most-famous residents of the site are the massive Queensland grouper. Dozens call the vessels home and greet divers as they descend and often follow them around the reef. They are a little camera shy at times, but it is quite common to have six or more following you from wreck to wreck. They vary in size from one metre to two metres long, however I once encountered a monster hiding inside the Melbourne that was three metres long!

The Queensland grouper are not the only big fish seen at the site, as also common are barracuda, giant trevally, goldspotted grouper, yellowtail kingfish and cobia. Several stingray species visit the site and rest on the sand beside the wrecks, and divers often see turtles and spotted wobbegongs. Schools of pelagic fish circle the wrecks, so watch out for trevally, rabbitfish, batfish, scad and bream.

Reef fishes abound on the vessels, with a good variety of butterflyfish, angelfish, wrasse, tuskfish, pufferfish, damsels, hawkfish, surgeonfish, boxfish, morays, sweetlips, Moorish idols, coral snapper, fusiliers, basslets, scorpionfish, rockcod, lionfish and blennies to be seen. On the sand rest grubfish, flatheads and gobies.

Nudibranchs feed on the wrecks, with lots of three-lobed ceratosoma to be seen. Some of the nudibranchs I have seen here have tiny skeleton shrimps on them. Divers will also find octopus, squid, spiny lobster, crabs, shrimps, sea stars, seashells, feather stars and hermit crabs.

Located in the sheltered estuary waters of Moreton Bay, divers also find unusual and unexpected marine life at Curtin Artificial Reef. Stonefish, demon stingers and leaf scorpionfish hide on the wrecks or the sand. On one dive I found a painted frogfish, on another an ornate ghostpipefish being eaten by a grubfish. I have also seen the rare northern blue devil, the little-known blackspot waspfish and also a false scorpionfish, a type of rockcod that pretends to be venomous.

How Many Dives Does It Take to See It All?

With so many vessels to explore it takes around a dozen dives to thoroughly investigate all parts of Curtin Artificial Reef. Each time I dive this site I find something new and give thanks to the Underwater Research Group of Queensland for creating the world’s first artificial reef created especially for divers.

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