The Limerick was on its way to Brisbane from Sydney in a convoy of five merchant ships and two escorts when it was separated because of engine problems.  At the time, Japanese submarines were patrolling the coast and had sunk five merchant ships by the end of April.

The Limerick sank in the early hours of April 26, but its final resting place remained a mystery until late last year when a fisherman identified a large wreck about 18 kilometres off the coast.

 NSW Water Police were called in to help the Office of Environment and Heritage in conducting an initial survey of the site with a side-scan sonar, but bad weather meant the ship could not be identified.  

Australia’s Marine National Facility research vessel Southern Surveyor was called in and coincidentally a research voyage had been already scheduled to operate in the suspected wreck area.

University of Sydney geologist Associate Professor Tom Hubble was leading the voyage and said he was pleased to help because finding the wreck was in the national ­interest. 

“We were already in the area, we had the necessary technology and technical expertise and, in the end, it didn’t take long to create a 3-D image of the wreck,” he said.

Heritage Minister Robyn Parker announced the finding yesterday and thanked everyone involved.

“Limerick was one of the largest vessels sunk by Japanese submarines off Australia’s east coast during their offensive submarine patrols through 1942 and 1943,” Ms Parker said.

Seventy survivors were pulled from the water.