The SS Elingamite was an Australian passenger steamer built in 1887 by C.S. Swan & Hunter in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. She was designed as a steel-hulled screw steamer measuring approximately 320 feet (98 meters) in length, with a beam of 40 feet 9 inches (12.42 meters) and a depth of 22 feet 3 inches (6.78 meters). Powered by triple-expansion compound steam engines constructed by the Wallsend Slipway & Engineering Company, she could reach a top speed of about 11 knots (20 km/h). The vessel accommodated 200 passengers, with space for 100 in first class and 100 in steerage, and featured a schooner rig with two pole masts. Initially, the Victorian government had intended her for use as an armed cruiser, equipped with fittings for four Armstrong 36-pounder guns—two forward and two aft—and machine guns amidships, although her primary role was as a passenger vessel. She arrived in Sydney on 22 November 1887 after departing Newcastle upon Tyne on 24 September of the same year. Elingamite's notable service included her routine runs across the Tasman Sea between Sydney and Auckland. On her final voyage, under Captain Ernest Atwood, she carried 136 passengers, 58 crew, and a significant cargo of 52 boxes of coins, including 6,000 gold half-sovereigns intended for banks in New Zealand. On 9 November 1902, the vessel struck West Island in the Three Kings group during a thick fog and sank within approximately 20 minutes. The disaster resulted in the deaths of 45 lives—28 passengers and 17 crew—though some survivors escaped in lifeboats and rafts, with rescue efforts leading to landings on King Island and the New Zealand mainland. The sinking prompted a court inquiry, which initially found Captain Atwood guilty of gross negligence but later cleared him after it was discovered that chart inaccuracies contributed to the wreck. The area was later re-surveyed, establishing the correct position of the Three Kings group. Over the years, the wreck has become a popular site for divers, partly due to tales of lost treasure and recovered coins. The ship's significance lies in its role as a notable maritime disaster and a site of maritime salvage and exploration. Today, the wreck is privately owned, and some coins have been recovered from its dispersed remains.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.