The Aarhus which sank in 1894 fully loaded with kerosene is considered Australia's first major oil spills.

Name Dive Site:	Aarhus, Aahrus
Depth:	10-25m (32-82ft)
Visibility:	20-30m (65-98ft)
Inserted/Added by:	bluezonescuba
Rated:	Rated 1.0, 3 votes
Specifications:
GPS:	S26°59.68', E153°28.54'

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The Aarhus sank in early 1894 after a 122 day sail from New York, carrying a cargo of kerosene, glassware, wire bails and alarm clocks. She was an iron barque of around 50 meters in length and although not a lot remains of her hull structure, there is still plenty to keep you occupied for a few dives. Always heaps of life and after a big south-easterly blow, much of the original cargo can become exposed for a few days before filling back in. It's amazing to find 115 year old wooden crates still intact, still holding the glassware they were designed to protect. Much of the timber artifacts under the sand have been preserved due to having been drenched in kerosene all those years ago. Indeed the Aarhus is considered of Australia’s first major marine oil spills!

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Name: scubadivingaustralia

On 24 February 1894 the 170 feet long Danish barque Aarhus was on its way from New York to Brisbane. It had sailed already for 122 days when it sank north of Moreton Island. Its cargo consisted of kerosene, wire balls, alarm clocks and glassware. When the pilot did not arrive Captain Gram decided to sail the Aarhus to sea for the night. They struck Smiths Rock at around 08.50pm and in about fifteen minutes the Aarhus had sunk to the bottom. Fourteen members of the crew, including the Captain and his wife, could evacuate the ship safely in one of the boats. The survivors arrived on Moreton Island after three hours of rowing. In 1979 the remains of the Aarhus were found by the Underwater Research Group of Queensland.

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