The MacIntyre had an unusual career. Built in 1877 as a composite vessel, she started life as a river barge and was later converted into a schooner-rigged screw steamer of about 33 m and 127 tons for the coastal trade. At about midnight on 1 April 1927 she struck a rock off the south-south-east of Wardang Island and sank about 500 m offshore.

The wreck lies in 4-10 m, close to the larger SS Australian. The Dive Shack notes that fish life is sparse compared with the Australian, but the remains are easy to explore: composite framing, iron fittings, machinery and plating spread across the sand and low reef, gradually being covered by weed and encrusting organisms. Leatherjackets, magpie perch, old wives and sweep use the structure, and blue swimmer crabs and cuttlefish are seen on the sand.

The MacIntyre is interesting chiefly as an example of the adaptable small vessels that served South Australia's coastal communities, and as part of the story of Wardang Island's treacherous southern shore, where the Australian and Monarch were also lost. Its proximity to the Australian makes it an easy add-on: most divers visit both on one tank or back-to-back. It suits beginners and snorkellers in the shallower sections, and is best on calm, easterly days.

The DEW trail booklet includes a site plan that helps divers distinguish the MacIntyre's composite framing from the iron of the Australian nearby, and working out which piece belongs to which ship is part of the fun. Take care with buoyancy over the fragile timber remnants, which are slowly being eroded by sand movement.

From Adelaide drive about 190 km (2 hours 15 minutes) via Port Wakefield and Maitland to Port Victoria. Launch at the Port Victoria boat ramp beside the jetty and run west to Wardang Island – the island's nearest shore is about 8 km away and the southern wreck sites about 11 km (20-30 minutes in a small boat). The Port Victoria Maritime Museum and the Department for Environment and Water trail booklet give site details and coordinates.

Wardang Island is Aboriginal land held by the Point Pearce (Narungga) community: diving the wrecks from a boat is fine, but landing on the island requires permission. The MacIntyre lies about 500 m off the south-south-east corner of Wardang Island, around 10 km from the ramp (20-25 minutes), and only a short distance from the SS Australian – the two are usually dived together.

Wardang Island lies 8-11 km off Port Victoria in Spencer Gulf. Its western and southern shores – Aagot, Investigator, Notre Dame d'Arvor, Monarch, Australian and MacIntyre – face the open gulf and are subject to south-westerly swell, surge and wind-driven sand movement, so they need low swell and light winds, ideally easterlies. The eastern and northern sites (Songvaar, Moorara) are more sheltered from the prevailing south-westerlies but exposed to northerly and easterly chop.

The 20-30 minute boat run from Port Victoria becomes uncomfortable above about 15 knots. Summer and autumn mornings are the usual window; winter fronts bring days of south-westerly weather.

Descend onto the MacIntyre, circuit the remains at 4-8 m, then swim or boat-hop to the nearby Australian for a two-wreck dive.

No resident operator; included in Adelaide shop and club Wardang weekends, usually paired with the Australian; private boats from Port Victoria.