Eight RAN ships covered over 2,000 square miles of sea, assisted by aircraft, helicopters and other vessels, however only five survivors and one body from a crew of 26 were recovered.

It must rank as one of our worst recent maritime disasters.

The Noongah left Newcastle for Townsville on Saturday, August 23, 1969 with a cargo of 1,500 tons of steel products.

Off Smoky Cape, the ship ran into a small cyclonic depression with mountainous seas.

The ship's captain, Leo Botsman, radioed urgently for help at 3.55 am Monday morning as the ship had developed a list which could not be controlled.

At 4.37 am he signalled again that the crew of 26 was abandoning ship.

The crew had tried to launch the two lifeboats but the severe list and 30 foot waves (10 meters) made this impossible.

Three of the survivors said they were dragged down by the sinking ship but managed to cling to a plank.

Around them they heard the frantic cries of shipmates but could not be of assistance to any of them due to the turbulent seas.

They drifted for forty miles south and were off the coast of Port Macquarie when they were picked up at around 4pm that afternoon.

The men were rescued by the freighter Meringa which had been guided to them by a plane carrying journalists to the scene of the sinking.

The survivors were R Henderson (third engineer) William Cockley (able seaman) and J Lingard (greaser).

A fourth crew member who had been with them on the plank was deceased.

They told of seeing the captain, Leo Botsman, trying to help other crew get away and making no attempt to save himself.

Earlier that morning, two other survivors on life rafts had been rescued ten miles off Crescent Head by a Japanese oil tanker, the Koyo Maru.

John Worth (second engineer) and Anwyl Durose (assistant steward) were unable to be landed at Trial Bay due to the continuing rough conditions and were taken to Brisbane.

The other three survivors were also landed at Brisbane by the Meringa.

The search continued through the week, with navy vessels combing the sea between Smoky Cape and Port Macquarie, whilst on land police, civil defence workers and volunteers searched beaches and estuaries between the Macleay and Port Macquarie.

A radio base was set up at Big Nobby near Crescent Head to supervise the land search and police and civil defence were stationed at every headland in the search area.

A total of five life jackets were found but despite showing signs of being used, all were empty.

The air and sea search was called off on Friday, August 29 and despite the land search continuing for some time, no further signs of the 20 remaining crew were found.

A Marine Court of Inquiry held later that year found that the haste with which the ship had to be abandoned contributed to the heavy death toll.

Marine experts showed the ship sank because of the weight of water and cargo in the forward hold, but the reason for this could not be established. The cause of this terrible tragedy remains a mystery.

Read more about the Noongah tragedy which claimed lives off South West Rocks.