Mooloolaba · Australia · Wreck · Artificial reef

Ex-HMAS Brisbane

A 133 m destroyer on sand at 28 m, dived outside only

Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0

A 133 metre Perth-class guided-missile destroyer, scuttled off Mudjimba on 31 July 2005 and sitting upright with her forward decks in 15 metres, her stern in 18 and the sand at 28. Tropical Cyclone Alfred moved part of her forward structure off the hull in March 2025 and both Mooloolaba operators now dive her outside only. Sponges and corals have taken the steel, and more than 200 species of fish have been recorded in the area.

Also known as HMAS Brisbane.

Where it is and how deep

Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

26.6167° S, 153.1689° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Scuba World lists the wreck at 6 to 28 metres, and how deep you go depends on where you drop in along 133 metres of hull. Sunreef puts her forward decks in 15 metres and her stern in 18, so a normal dive works the upper decks and the remaining structure and looks down at the sand rather than spending the tank on it.

Everything happens on the outside. Sunreef describes the forward smoke stack as picked up off the hull, moved north and set down intact on the sand after Tropical Cyclone Alfred crossed the coast in March 2025, while Scuba World describes the forward superstructure ripped off at deck level and landed upright on the sand. Both list the ship as external only with no penetration at this stage, so the route is a swim along the hull and over the open deck spaces rather than a tour of corridors and engine rooms.

The steel has been colonised by sponges, soft corals and hard corals, and more than 200 different species of fish have been sighted in the area. Sunreef names bull, shovelnose and eagle rays, octopus, nudibranchs, leopard sharks and Queensland groupers on the wreck, and turtles and thousands of small fish work the structure, so the second half of the dive is usually spent close in on what has grown over the ship.

The wreck

Vessel: HMAS Brisbane
Type: Perth-class guided-missile destroyer
Length: 133 m (436 ft)
Sunk: 2005
Cause: Deliberately scuttled with explosive charges to create an artificial reef
Lies: Upright on sand with the hull in 28 m; part of the forward structure now sits separately on the sand

The ship was sunk off the Sunshine Coast in late July 2005 to create a diveable artificial reef. Explosives were placed in wooden frames inside the hull below the waterline and detonated, and in 2 minutes and 10 seconds she reached the bottom in 28 metres of water. The Queensland government created a conservation park around the wreck, and a 2009 study estimated it contributed A$18 million to the Sunshine Coast economy.

Marine life and season

Sea turtles
Eagle rays
Stingrays
Groupers
Octopus & cuttlefish
Nudibranchs
Reef fish swarms

Month-by-month season rating for Ex-HMAS Brisbane
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Fair	Fair	Fair	Fair	Good	Good	Prime	Prime	Prime	Prime	Fair	Fair

Season follows Mooloolaba: Grey nurse sharks hold at Nurse Rock July–October, the months operators also rate clearest; summer is murkier and falls inside the November–April cyclone season.

Know before you go

Diving here is external only: Tropical Cyclone Alfred moved part of the forward structure onto the sand in March 2025, and both operators state no penetration at this stage.

Questions divers ask

Can you go inside the ex-HMAS Brisbane?+

No. Both Mooloolaba operators list the wreck as external only with no penetration at this stage, after Tropical Cyclone Alfred moved part of the forward structure off the hull and onto the sand in March 2025.

How deep is the ex-HMAS Brisbane?+

The wreck ranges from 6 to 28 metres. Sunreef puts the forward decks in 15 metres and the stern in 18, with the hull resting on the sand at 28 metres.

What certification do you need for the ex-HMAS Brisbane?+

Sunreef rates it for Open Water certified divers and above. It lies about 2.9 nautical miles offshore, roughly 15 minutes by boat from Mooloolaba Harbour.