SS Waratah

The SS Waratah, a passenger and cargo steamship built in 1908 for the Blue Anchor Line, disappeared on July 27, 1909, while sailing from Durban to Cape Town, South Africa. The ship vanished with 211 people on board and was never seen again, making it one of the great unsolved maritime mysteries of the 20th century.

Despite numerous search expeditions over more than a century, the wreck of the SS Waratah has never been definitively identified. Several claims of discovery along the South African coast have been made over the years, but none has been conclusively verified.

The Waratah was built for the Blue Anchor Line to operate between Europe and Australia via South Africa. On her final voyage in 1909, she was traveling from Durban to Cape Town along the South African coast when she vanished in what may have been a severe storm.

The SS Waratah has been called the 'Australian Titanic' because of the large loss of life—211 people—and the complete absence of any wreckage or survivors. The ship was carrying many Australian passengers, and the mystery surrounding its disappearance has captivated public attention for over a century.