The Omeo is one of the most accessible historic shipwrecks in Australia: an iron hull lying in 3 m of water about 25 m off a suburban beach, with its stern breaking the surface. Built in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1858 as a steamer, the Omeo carried passengers and cargo between Britain and the Australian colonies, helped lay the Overland Telegraph cable and famously collided with the Swan Spit pile lighthouse in Port Phillip in 1881. She was later converted to a sailing ship, then stripped to a coal hulk and moored in Owen Anchorage off Fremantle. In 1905 a storm broke her anchor cable and drove her ashore where she lies now. She was judged unsalvageable and left.

The hull is about 65 m long and lies upright. Much of the bow is buried in sand, but divers can follow the iron ribs and plating, three bulkheads, collapsed deck sections and a prominent mast step. The wreck is protected under Commonwealth heritage law: look only, and do not climb or stand on it.

Since 2016 the City of Cockburn has built the Coogee Maritime Trail seaward of the wreck. Almost 70 modules, placed in stages in 2016, 2019 and 2020, now run about 200 m west in 2.5–7 m. They include fibre-reinforced concrete reef units, pyramids, Reef Balls and Bomboras, 3D-printed habitats, a large starfish sculpture, the Stella Maris sculpture, selfie portholes and historic items recovered during the Elizabeth Quay works. The structures have grown over quickly and hold schooling bullseyes and old wives, wrasse, leatherjackets, cuttlefish, octopus and small rays.

This is an ideal first dive, snorkel or photography session and an easy night dive. Experienced divers value it as a relaxed long dive and a place to see Perth's maritime history without a boat.

From Cockburn Road at North Coogee turn west into Orsino Boulevard, then left into Perlinte View and follow it to the bays near Omeo Park; free parking is also available on Socrates Parade and Chieftain Esplanade. From Omeo Park a part-concrete path leads to the beach and to purpose-built dive stairs over the breakwater; the council asks divers to use the stairs rather than climbing the rock wall. The stern of the wreck shows at the surface about 25 m offshore.

The trail modules run about 200 m west (seaward) from the wreck. It is about 10 minutes from Fremantle, 30 minutes from the Perth CBD.

The site is very shallow and sits on an open beach north of the marina, so any swell or wind chop stirs the sand. Dive only when the water is flat: swell under about 1 m and an offshore easterly wind, ideally after two or three calm days. The summer south-westerly sea breeze usually arrives late morning and makes the surface choppy and the water murky, so go at sunrise or early morning.

North-westerly winds before winter fronts are the worst direction. Warm days in late summer can bring swarms of sea nettle jellyfish. Night dives work well in calm weather.

Enter from the dive stairs and swim out to the wreck (visible at the surface). Circle the hull at 2–4 m and look along the ribs, bulkheads and mast step, then head west along the trail through the reef modules, sculptures and pyramids to the deeper modules at about 5–7 m. Return the same way or along the breakwater edge.

With depths this shallow there is no real safety-stop requirement, but finish slowly near the stairs.

Used almost daily by snorkellers and by Perth dive schools for guided shore dives, snorkel tours and training, including Perth Scuba, Dolphin Scuba and Bucket List Diver. No booking needed for independent divers.