Shipwreck found off NSW Mid North Coast
An Australian coastal freighter from WWII has been discovered 77 years after it was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the NSW coast.
The SS Wollongbar II was discovered by the local community off Crescent Head on the Mid North Coast and the find has been confirmed by archaeologists from Heritage NSW.
Acting Minister for Veterans Geoff Lee said the freight vessel was destroyed by two torpedoes in 1943, killing 32 people on board.
"We have just commemorated our brave veterans on Anzac Day but it's also important to remember the toll of war for everyday Australians," Mr Lee said in statement on Monday.
"This secret has been hidden at the bottom of the deep sea for decades and the find will give some closure for descendants and relatives of the 32 people who lost their lives."
Member for Oxley Melinda Pavey said a significant part of the Mid North Coast's wartime history has been solved with the shipwreck's discovery.
The Wollongbar's sinking led to a boom in cake-making, which was normally restricted by wartime food rationing, as boxes of butter and bacon from the vessel washed up on the shore, she added.
