While many Tasmanians have heard the story, some people may not realise an important piece of history is lying next to the Tasman Bridge as they travel between Hobart's eastern and western shores.
The SS Lake Illawarra sits at the bottom of the River Derwent after it crashed into several pylons of the bridge on Sunday 5 January, 1975, killing 12 people.
While the 140 metre-long bulk carrier is popular among divers, it is hard for most of us to imagine what the wreck of the Lake Illawarra looks like.
That is, until now.
Almost 50 years on, CSIRO and Jacobs Engineering group have produced the first complete 3D model of the wreck, bridge, riverbed and shoreline.
"It provides a much more detailed and accurate depiction of what's on the seabed, and obviously the wreck and the piers themselves," Jacobs survey technical director Paul Digney said.
It took four days to complete the project, using a multi beam echo sounder and a terrestrial laser scanner to map features above and below the waterline.
"We [CSIRO and Jacobs] have been able to improve on the resolution of the data so you can see more detail of the wreck," CSIRO hydrographic surveyor Craig Davey said.
"Now we have a full sea bed, and bridge data set, which is interesting".
The new mapping also gives a clearer idea of the wreck's exact position, revealing the ship's bow sits next to the third pylon on the eastern shore side of the bridge, and the ship points at a 45-degree angle towards the middle of the river.
The wreck lies 125 metres offshore in about 35 metres of water, and at its highest point is about 15 metres below the waterline.
The new data has been offered up to the state government as it prepares to undergo its first major upgrade of the Tasman Bridge since it was repaired in 1975.
"We've notified the Department of State Growth that this data is available and we are optimistic that it will be of some value. it certainly provides a much clearer picture of anything they've had in the past", Mr Digney said.
The new high-resolution map of the Lake Illawarra wreck also opens up the possibility of comparing the data to a 2014 survey, to monitor any deterioration of the wreck and to assess whether it has moved during that period.
"The wreck doesn't pose a risk to the bridge, but without the ability to measure that, there's always a concern that there might be something going on that isn't considered," Mr Digney said.
More than 1,000 shipwrecks in Tasmanian waters
A maritime archaeologist said the state had a fascinating history, with more than 1,000 shipwrecks in Tasmanian waters.
"It's not uncommon for a shipwreck to be so close to a city, because they were a major point of contact between maritime and land-based transport," said Emily Jateff, from the Australian National Maritime Museum.
"Most shipwrecks are a result of an accident, and they capture the world at that exact moment in time."
While all shipwrecks are an important piece of our history, many have a connection to the Lake Illawarra story.
"There's a lot of interest in not only the tragedy of the wreck but the social impact," said John Wadsley from the Maritime Museum of Tasmania.
Maritime experts hope the stunning images give people a new appreciation of what happened to the Lake Illawarra and how the Tasman Bridge disaster shaped the city of Hobart.
"The eastern shore became a lot more developed ... it completely transformed transport patterns in Hobart," Mr Wadsley said.
Now work is underway to find more of these sunken vessels, which capture important moments in history.
"One of the things we're doing now is working with CSIRO and they are using their advanced surveying equipment on board to look for shipwrecks while they're doing other scientific research so that's a real help," Ms Jateff said.
