City of Adelaide was an iron-hulled ship that was launched in Scotland in 1863, spent a long career in Australian passenger and cargo service, and sank off the coast of Queensland in 1916.

[3] City of Adelaide ran regular passenger services between several destinations including Melbourne, Sydney,[4] Honolulu and San Francisco.

In 1890 to WA Ritchie of Sydney bought her and had her converted to a four-masted jackass barque by removing her boilers and engines and adding two new masts.

He had the hull stripped, and an attempt was made to float the ship to Magnetic Island's Picnic Bay, where she would be scuttled as a breakwater for a jetty.

[6][7] In World War II the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) used the wreck for target practice for bomber crews from the nearby Garbutt Airfield.

The mock attack on Townsville Harbour was a success, after which the six bombers climbed to about 1,000 feet (300 m) and flew in a vee formation towards Cockle Bay.

On 24 December 1971 Cyclone Althea struck the coast of northern Queensland near Magnetic Island, causing the part of the wreck's iron hull to collapse.