Sydney's Homebush Bay is home to many a broken and forgotten ship, but at least one of those derelict boats still houses a bit of life. The SS Ayrfield, long decommissioned, has a mangrove forest growing from its corpse.


Originally launched as the SS Corrimal, the Ayrfield was built in the UK in 1911 and the Australian government used it during WWII to transport American troops and supplies. The Miller Steamship Company bought the ship in 1951 (and named it the Ayrfield), and it operated as a collier between Newcastle and Sydney until 1972, when it was decommissioned and sent to Homebush Bay, which was, at the time, a ship breaking area.

Amidst the rest of the ghostly ship hulls, the Ayrfield stands out thanks to its current inhabitants, which add a bit of green to the rusty ship graveyard.


Photo by Jason Baker.

[via My Modern Met]