19/08/2026
This is interesting
SS Time - Aground in the Rip
The call came before dawn.
A cargo ship had entered Port Phillip through the Heads. Then, without warning, her steering failed. With the powerful ebb tide pushing relentlessly against her, there was little the crew could do.
Moments later came the sickening sound of steel grinding across rock.
The SS Time was hard aground on Corsair Rock.
As seawater poured into her forward holds, the wireless operator tapped out a desperate message:
"S.S. Time fast on Corsair Rock at entrance to Rip."
Then another.
"Captain says he requires assistance."
Back in Queenscliff, the wreck alarm rang out through the darkness.
Within minutes, volunteers of the Queenscliffe Lifeboat Service were on their way, answering yet another call from one of the most dangerous stretches of water in Australia.
Thankfully, this story would end differently to so many others at the Heads.
All 45 people aboard were brought safely to shore.
But the drama was far from over.
For weeks, the stricken ship remained trapped on the reef while salvage crews battled tides, weather and the sea itself in an attempt to save her. Crowds gathered along the coastline to watch. Local fishermen became involved in the salvage, and before long stories began circulating about curious visitors helping themselves to timber, rope, fittings and even bags of sugar from the abandoned vessel!
Although the SS Time was eventually declared a total loss, her story remains an important chapter in the maritime history of Port Phillip—one that highlights not only the dangers of the Heads, but also the courage and readiness of the Queenscliffe Lifeboat crews who stood watch over these waters.
This August, we remember the grounding of the SS Time and the volunteers who answered the call.
Do you remember the wreck?
Perhaps you have family photographs, newspaper clippings, or stories passed down from parents or grandparents. We'd love to hear from you as we continue to build and share the maritime history of Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale.
The SS "Time".
Was wrecked on the "Corsair" rock in 1949 painting part of the QMM SS Time exhibit.
Painting by Oswald Brett
