Palm Island | The Wallaby Bay Catalina Air Base

​🌴 Palm Island Shipwreck & Buried WWII Catalina Planes | Exploring the Koonawarra Death Ship
​Join Nick Malachi on a personal and historical journey back to Great Palm Island, Queensland, Australia.

This adventure documents Nick's quest to uncover two fascinating and somber pieces of local history: the remains of a notorious shipwreck and the forgotten site of a WWII air base. Discover this unique corner of Australian history and the stories of the people who lived here.

​🚢 The Infamous "Death Ship" Koonawarra
​The first stop is the remains of the steamship Koonawarra, built in Scotland in 1853. Learn the tragic story of this vessel, known as the "death ship," which played a dark role in Indigenous history in Australia.

The Koonawarra was responsible for the forced removal of Indigenous people from their traditional lands in 1901, transporting them to settlements like Palm Island and Townsville. Nick, who previously dived this historical shipwreck, expresses his disappointment that years and cyclones have left the 225-foot vessel almost entirely buried in sand.

​✈️ The Lost Catalina Air Base & Buried Planes
​Next, the journey takes Nick to the site of an old Catalina Air Base on Palm Island. He explores the scattered WWII wreckage of a PBY Catalina flying boat, discovering the fuselage, wings, and engine mounts. According to local accounts, the Americans allegedly bulldozed and buried three or four brand-new Catalina planes in perfect condition beneath the sand after the war—a chilling piece of military history Nick investigates.

​A look at the remnants of the base's old workshops and living quarters.
​Nick meets some of the local children and introduces his new dog.
​Future plans to visit the site of the leper colony and a Neolithic cannon.
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