MV Cherry Venture 6 July 1973

Cherry Venture was a 1600-ton Scandinavian-built cargo ship launched in 1945 at Gothenburg, Sweden. She served under several names — Scania, Slott, and Timor Venture — before taking her final name in the early 1970s.

By 1973, she belonged to Sea Tankers Pty. Ltd. of Singapore and was sailing between Auckland and Brisbane when disaster struck. On July 6, 1973, while traveling in ballast, she ran into a fierce storm off Queensland’s coast. With swells reaching twelve meters and both anchors lost, she became uncontrollable. Around 1 PM, Cherry Venture was driven ashore at Teewah Beach, where she grounded firmly in the sand.

All 24 crew members and two pet monkeys were saved by RAAF helicopters after an incredible rescue effort in roaring winds and heavy surf. The grounded ship soon became a local landmark, attracting tourists who climbed over her tilted decks. Over the years, nine attempts were made to refloat her, including one by businessman Peter Vagellas in 1977, but all failed. Her stainless-steel propeller was salvaged in 1985 and placed at Rainbow Beach as a memorial.

By 2007, the wreck had decayed beyond safety and was demolished, yet storms later revealed traces of her buried hull.

Though gone from sight, Cherry Venture remains one of Australia’s most famous coastal shipwrecks.

Source: Maritime Archives