Major Oil Spills in Australia
A summary of the major oil spills that have occurred in or near Australian waters is provided below, together with several smaller offshore spills that resulted in significant legal action.
| Date | Vessel | Location | Oil amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28/11/1903 | Petriana | Port Phillip Bay, VIC | 1,300 tonnes |
| 03/03/1970 | Oceanic Grandeur | Torres Strait QLD | 1,100 tonnes |
| 26/05/1974 | Sygna | Newcastle, NSW | 700 tonnes |
| 14/07/1975 | Princess Anne Marie | Offshore, WA | 14,800 tonnes |
| 10/09/1979 | World Encouragement | Botany Bay NSW | 95 tonnes |
| 29/10/1981 | Anro Asia | Bribie Island QLD | 100 tonnes |
| 22/01/1982 | Esso Gippsland | Port Stanvac SA | unknown |
| 03/12/1987 | Nella Dan | Macquarie Island | 125 tonnes |
| 06/02/1988 | Sir Alexander Glen | Port Walcott, WA | 450 tonnes |
| 20/05/1988 | Korean Star | Cape Cuvier WA | 600 tonnes |
| 28/07/1988 | Al Qurain | Portland VIC | 184 tonnes |
| 21/05/1990 | Arthur Phillip | Cape Otway VIC | unknown |
| 14/02/1991 | Sanko Harvest | Esperance WA | 700 tonnes |
| 21/07/1991 | Kirki | WA | 17,280 tonnes |
| 30/08/1992 | Era | Port Bonython SA | 300 tonnes |
| 10/07/1995 | Iron Baron | Hebe Reef TAS | 325 tonnes |
| 28/06/1999 | Mobil Refinery | Port Stanvac SA | 230 tonnes |
| 26/07/1999 | MV Torungen | Varanus Island, WA | 25 tonnes |
| 03/08/1999 | Laura D’Amato | Sydney NSW | 250 tonnes |
| 18/12/1999 | Sylvan Arrow | Wilson's Promontory VIC | <2 tonnes |
| 02/09/2001 | Pax Phoenix | Holbourne Island, QLD | <1000 litres |
| 25/12/2002 | Pacific Quest | Border Island , QLD | >70 km slick |
| 24/01/2006 | Global Peace | Gladstone, QLD | 25 tonnes |
| 11/03/2009 | Pacific Adventurer | Cape Moreton, QLD | 270 tonnes |
| 21/08/2009 | Montara Wellhead | NW Australian coast | approx 4,750 tonnes |
| 03/04/2010 | Shen Neng1 | Great Keppel Island QLD | 4 tonnes |
| 09/01/2012 | MV Tycoon | Christmas Island | 102 tonnes |