Wrecked on 16th February 1905 on the Five Fathom Bank off Rockingham, the Royal Mail Steamship Orizaba was for many years one of the largest wrecks in Australian waters. Under the command of Captain Archer, the Orizaba was sailing to Fremantle with 160 passengers onboard as bushfires burnt along the coast. In a smoke haze restricting visibility, the 6077 ton steamship ran aground 2 miles west of Point Peron and was hard aground. The passengers were unloaded and with all salvageable material removed, the Orizaba was left to the mercy of the Indian Ocean. For many years until the early 80s the wreck was used as a demolitions training site for the armed forces until a request from the museum, to seek an alternative training site as the Orizaba reached a protected heritage status.