The story of the Alkimos wreck, a free beach day by Bathers Park, and a feed with an ocean view at Oceans 27.
Most Perth suburbs are named after a person or a place. Alkimos is named after a shipwreck, and the rusting remains of that ship are still sitting just off the beach. That’s enough of a story to get me up the coast for a swim, a walk along the sand and something to eat.
Quick facts
- Where: Bathers Park, Marginella Boulevard, Alkimos (ocean end of Leatherback Boulevard)
- Cost: Free
- Facilities: Toilet with baby change, BBQs, shaded picnic shelters, drinking fountains
- The wreck: SS Alkimos, a 1943 Liberty ship, wrecked here in 1964
- Food: Oceans 27, 27 Portside Promenade
The story of the Alkimos
The Alkimos started life as a WWII Liberty ship, launched in Baltimore in October 1943 to carry wartime cargo. She had a couple of names before a Greek-owned company renamed her Alkimos in 1953. Ten years later she hit a reef off the Beagle Islands, up near Eneabba, and things went downhill from there. In 1964 she broke her anchor and was driven onto the Eglinton Rocks, and in 1965 she was declared a wreck and sold for scrap.
The City of Wanneroo’s shipwreck notes put the remains about 410 metres offshore, and say pieces were still turning up as recently as 2018. The wreck has a reputation for being haunted too, if you like a ghost story with your beach day.
Seeing the wreck today
Don’t expect a full hull poking out of the water. What’s left has been breaking up for decades, and how much you can make out depends on the swell and the light. It’s still a dive site, though, so if you’re qualified it’s worth looking into with a local dive operator. If you’re more of a snorkeller, the Omeo shipwreck at Coogee is a much easier one to get to from the sand.
A beach day from Bathers Park
Bathers Park on Marginella Boulevard is the easy base. There’s a public toilet with baby change, BBQs, shaded picnic shelters and drinking fountains, and the coastal path takes you straight down to the beach. Street parking is on the surrounding roads. The coastline here is a mix of wide sand and low limestone cliffs, so a walk along the water is worth the effort.
Lunch or a beer at Oceans 27
When you’re done on the sand, Oceans 27 on Portside Promenade is the spot for a feed with an ocean view. It’s a bar and restaurant doing contemporary Australian food, and it gets a lot of love for its fish.
“The fish was the best fish I’ve had in Australia, cooked to absolute perfection with a lovely crispy batter”
ds00044724, Tripadvisor review
“A very popular bar with a fantastic play area for kids”
Peter M, Tripadvisor review
The same reviewer mentions good beer, which is all the convincing I need. At the time of writing it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check before you drive up. If fish and chips is the main event for you, here’s my list of fish and chips spots around Perth.
Featured image: Alkimos wreck by Orderinchaos (2006), CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons, cropped.
Frequently Asked Questions
The remains sit offshore (the City of Wanneroo puts them about 410 metres out) and have been breaking up for decades, so what you can see depends on the swell and the light. Divers still visit the site.
