English: MV Malabar aground off Long Bay headland (Malabar) in Sydney, NSW. Visiting the wreck was a popular outing for Sydneysiders. The ship was operated by Burns, Philp & Co and carrying passengers and cargo when she grounded on 2 April 1931 in poor visibility.
This photo is part of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Samuel J. Hood Studio Collection. Sam Hood (1870-1956) was a Sydney photographer with a passion for ships. His 72-year career spanned the romantic age of sail and two world wars. The photos in the collection were taken mainly in Sydney and Newcastle during the first half of the 20th century.
Object no. 00035918
Malabar NSW was named after MV Malabar, a Burns, Philp & Co passenger and cargo steamer that was shipwrecked at Long Bay on April 2, 1931. The ship was named after Malabar, Dutch East Indies. Prior to the wreck, the suburb was known as either Brand or Long Bay. Following a petition by local residents, the new name was gazetted on September 29, 1933. There have been five shipwrecks on the headland at Malabar - St Albans in 1882, MV Malabar in 1931, Try One in 1947, SS Goolgwai in 1955 and an unnamed barge in 1955. These wrecks are detailed in a book - From Long Bay to Malabar- A Village by the Sea.