It withstood war, treacherous seas, and decades of unfortunate events — now, a relic from one of WA’s most infamous shipwrecks has dropped anchor in Wanneroo.
The last surviving lifeboat from the SS Alkimos, which the nearby suburb takes its name from, has been acquired by the City of Wanneroo.
The SS Alkimos, a merchant ship and former wartime transport vessel built in the US during World War II, met its fate along the WA coastline in 1964 after running aground while being towed.
Since then, the vessel has captured the imagination of both historians and locals, becoming a lasting symbol in WA’s maritime history.
Originating as the Viggo Hansteen under Norwegian ownership, the ship has long been associated with tragic events, including a fatal accident during construction that claimed several workers.
A murder-suicide also occurred on board in 1944, further fuelling the local legends that surround the vessel and its legacy.
The ship ran aground off New Zealand in 1952, was sold and renamed SS Alkimos in 1953, and after striking a reef near WA in 1963 it was towed for repairs but ultimately driven ashore again when its tug line snapped.
In the 60 years since the ship ran aground, much of the SS Alkimos has been salvaged, while the unrelenting conditions of the Indian Ocean have worn down what’s left, leaving little visible above the water.
As time and these elements erode what remains of the ship — now resting about 410m offshore — efforts to preserve what was saved from the wreck have become increasingly significant.
With the goal of preserving an important piece of WA and the city’s maritime history, the City of Wanneroo acquired the lifeboat last week from a private owner who had cherished it for decades.
City of Wanneroo Regional Museum curator Alana Part said the city hoped to create a special exhibition on the SS Alkimos, with the lifeboat as the centrepiece, after an assessment by a conservator to explore potential restoration work.
“We’re very excited to have it in the collection and to be able to share it with the community,” Ms Part said.
“(The lifeboat) helps us enrich the museum collection. It allows us to tell stories about the Alkimos with something really concrete that we didn’t have before.
“In the future, there’ll be people that ask questions when we can no longer see the Alkimos, and it’s completely underwater. These will be the last remaining things we have from such an important shipwreck.”
Despite its age, Ms Part said the lifeboat was in a ‘surprisingly good’ condition.
“One of the things the owner said to us when we were acquiring it was that it’s still seaworthy,” Ms Part said.
“We weren’t expecting much because, obviously, knowing the state of the Alkimos and the fact that it’s been exposed to elements, and it’s been well used throughout the years, but it’s actually been well looked after.
“It’s about seven metres long and 2.5 metres wide, so it’s pretty huge.”
Given its history plagued by misfortune, the ship is considered by many to be cursed.
In the years immediately after the SS Alkimos running aground, around 12 salvage attempts were made. All failed, with several fires breaking out during scrapping.
Some divers reported hearing phantom footsteps onboard, and there were reports the skull of a missing swimmer was found lodged at the wreck site — despite the swimmer disappearing around 43km south of the ship.
Ms Part said these legends were an important part of the ship’s legacy and hopes they will be shared with future generations.
“Anyone who has had something to do with the SS Alkimos always has a story to tell, which we love about it. We document all of those, and I’m sure in a future exhibition we’ll be able to explore some of them,” she said.
“The next step for us is we’re going to be contacting the Australian National Maritime Museum to apply to have it registered on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.”
Wanneroo mayor Linda Aitken said it was essential to protect this artifact for future generations and was excited to see how the lifeboat could help the community interpret the past and learn through history.
“It’s wonderful to have secured the last surviving lifeboat from the SS Alkimos — an important piece of WA’s maritime history and a link to the city’s own coastal heritage,” Ms Aitken said.
“The preservation and future exhibition of the lifeboat will offer our community an opportunity to connect with the stories of our coastline, including the story of the SS Alkimos shipwreck.”