My wife and I attended the official unveiling of the plaque for the Sea Wolves Dive Club’s historic admiralty anchor now on display at the entrance of the Port Noarlunga Surf Lifesaving Club on Saturday 1st of March.
The anchor before the unveiling of the plaque
The ~3m anchor of unknown origin was first discovered in St Vincent Gulf somewhere off Semaphore in 1999, It was recovered by the members of the Sea Wolves Dive Club in 2005. After some negotiation with the Department of Environment’s Heritage Division, the Sea Wolves preserved the anchor under the department’s guidance.
The origin of the anchor has not been able to be determined at all. A chain attached to the anchor was left at the site. The unveiling of the anchor on 1st March 2025 came some 20 years after its recovery by the Sea Wolves Dive Club in 2005. The club decided to donate the anchor to the City of Onkaparinga who placed it at the entrance of the Port Noarlunga Surf Lifesaving Club within the jetty car park.
Moira Ware AM, Mayor of City of Onkaparinga performed the unveiling of the anchor after presentations by David Davies (Sea Wolves President), Neil Pascoe (Sea Wolves Secretary), Mark Polzer (Senior Maritime Heritage Officer) and Helena Wescombe-Down (President SDFSA ).
A good crowd had gathered to watch the ceremony, many of them wearing the Sea Wolves’ Anchor Recovery Project shirts: –
The watchful crowd
This was the anchor being cleaned after its recovery in 2005: –
The anchor being cleaned after its recovery
The anchor display is now complete with this plaque, some 20 years after its recovery: –
The plaque for the anchor
The presentation by David Davies (Sea Wolves President) & Neil Pascoe (Sea Wolves Secretary)
The presentation by Mark Polzer (Senior Maritime Heritage Officer)
The presentation by Helena Wescombe-Down (President SDFSA )
Moira Ware AM, Mayor of City of Onkaparinga unveiling the plaque for the anchor
Moira Ware AM, Mayor of City of Onkaparinga, David Davies (Sea Wolves President) & Neil Pascoe (Sea Wolves Secretary) after the unveiling of the plaque for the anchor
~45% of the Sea Wolves club membership posing alongside the anchor
The Marine Life Society of SA has now established the Port Noarlunga Anchor Trail which includes the ‘Sea Wolves’ anchor. SA’s Department for Environment & Water’s heritage division recently visited the three on land anchors on the trail to record details, including measurements. Details will be posted to the Big Anchor Project website.
The Sea Wolves are to be congratulated on the anchor display some 26 years after its discovery.