The SS Ayrfield was built in 1911. It transported supplies to American troops in World War II, and after that it transported coal for decades, until, in 1972, it was sent to Homebush Bay, in Australia, not far from Sydney.
The bay was a dumping ground, and at this time, a “ship breaking” yard. For years the bay was polluted (although Australia cleaned it up around the time of the Sydney Olympics). The hull of the SS Ayrfield, along with a few other ships, was left there to rust. And over the years, the Ayrfield grew into a forested island:
We’re not saying it’s a good idea to leave a ship hull in a bay for long enough for trees to grow in it, but … we can’t say we mind that it happened this once.
