The Centurion is the most accessible historic wreck in Sydney and the usual first wreck dive for Manly-trained divers. She was a full-rigged clipper of 1,004 tons and 63 m, built in 1864 by Walter Hood at Aberdeen for George Thompson's Aberdeen White Star Line, and for twenty years she raced between London and Sydney with passengers and wool, typically in under 80 days each way. Cut down to a barque and then a bulk carrier, she left Dawes Point on 16 January 1887 under tow by the steamer Phoebe with 400 tons of coal and 60 tons of stone ballast for Honolulu.

Off the Heads in a hard southerly and poor visibility the tow rope fouled the tug's propeller; the Centurion drifted onto North Head near Old Man's Hat, was hauled or slid off within half an hour, and sank inside the Heads off Quarantine Point. Nobody died. She lies on sand at about 18 m, largely buried, as two sections of iron frames and plating with masts, anchor chain, heaps of coal and stone ballast, beams and twisted ironwork; the sand has swallowed the rest and shifts from year to year, revealing and hiding pieces.

It is a compact site that can be examined in a quarter of an hour, and Pro Dive Manly describes hull remains, deck frames, mast sections and anchor chain as the things to find. What makes it a good dive despite its modest structure is the fish: bullseyes and yellowtail school over the frames, bream and old wives shelter in them, cuttlefish, octopus and moray eels live in the gaps, and at night the wreck lights up with decorator crabs, hermit crabs, squid and hunting eels. Visibility is harbour-standard, 5–12 m, best on the top of the flood.

The Centurion is a protected historic shipwreck and nothing may be disturbed. It suits Open Water divers, wreck-specialty and night-dive courses, and history enthusiasts; it pairs naturally with the Quarantine Station reef or Red Indian Point for a shallow harbour double.

Boat only, inside the harbour off Quarantine Point on the inner side of North Head. Five to ten minutes from Manly Cove or the Little Manly ramp, 20 minutes from Rose Bay wharf; Pro Dive Manly, Dive Centre Manly and Sydney Dive Charters all run it, usually as a second dive or a night dive. GPS 33°49.05'S 151°16.86'E (WGS84).

The wreck stands little above the sand and needs a sounder; anchor on the debris and not in the adjacent seagrass. Rose Bay ramp for private boats.

Inside the harbour the swell is negligible; what matters is tide, rain and traffic. Visibility is governed by run-off – after heavy rain the harbour runs brown for several days and the site is not worth diving – and by tide: the last two hours of the flood bring clean ocean water in through the Heads and give the best visibility, while the ebb drags dirty water out. Wind chop from a strong north-easter or southerly makes small-boat work uncomfortable but rarely stops a dive.

Winter westerlies give the clearest water (10–15 m on a good day). Boat and ferry traffic is heavy at all times, extreme on summer weekends and event days; ascend on a line or DSMB and never in open water away from the boat.

Descend the anchor to the sand at 18 m and locate the main section: iron frames, a mast, anchor chain and coal. Circle it slowly, then follow the debris trail to the second section and back. The whole wreck can be seen in 15 minutes; spend the rest of the dive on the fish life and the sand edge, and ascend on the anchor line.

Ideal night dive with lights among the frames.

Pro Dive Manly – lists the Centurion (18 m, 'green' level) on its boat schedule; Dive Centre Manly and Sydney Dive Charters use it as an easy wreck dive, an Open Water course ocean dive and a night dive from Little Manly/Rose Bay; also popular with private boats.