Wild weather on the NSW Mid North Coast uncovers 'Buster', Australia's best-preserved shipwreck

'Buster's' Shipwreck in Woolgoolga beach, NSW at sunset partially revealing the vessel's hull. (Supplied: Iain Bennett)

It's hard to find any positives to the recent flooding and heavy seas in northern NSW, but in the mid north coast town of Woolgoolga, the wild weather has resulted in a welcome visitor.

'Buster' the shipwreck is usually mostly covered by sand, only remerging from time to time when tide and surf conditions are right.

The recent weather event on the NSW Mid North Coast has exposed the aged remains of the vessel- considered one of the best-preserved shipwrecks in the country.

"It's one of the few historic shipwrecks out of over 700 on Australian waters in coastal zones that actually sits on the beach," Tim Smith, director of Heritage Assessment NSW said.

Buster's full exposure used to be a more rare event, but Mr Smith said that since 2009, the vessel had been uncovered almost annually, which may lead to an acceleration to its deterioration.

The Buster, a shipwreck on the beach at Woolgoolga, has been exposed by recent wild weather on the coast. (Supplied: Robert Watkin)

A glimpse into the past

The once impressive 310-tonne, 39-metre tall timber barquentine was built in Nova Scotia, Canada where it made port at Woolgoolga Jetty in 1893 to load timber bound for New Zealand.

An outline of what Buster would have looked like when it shipped timber in the 1800s. (Supplied: Department of Primary Industries)

Heritage records recount a wall of water that smashed the side of the boat breaking the anchor chain and sweeping it out to sea on February 17, 1893.

The Buster was later driven ashore and became a total wreck at the mouth of Woolgoolga Lake on March 8.

The wreck is protected by heritage legislation; it's an offence to move, damage, disturb or destroy the wreck or anything associated with it, including 'relics' from the ship.

Buster's timber hull exposed by the recent wild weather event across the NSW Mid North Coast.  (ABC News: Arianna Levy)

Conservation Concerns

The latest unearthing of Buster has sparked conservation concerns; Mr Smith said the increasingly frequent appearance of the wreck had meant more exposure to the elements.

"From the last time it was exposed last year the vessel was out of the sand in the water for quite a long time and got a bit of algae growth"

Algae growth on the hull of 'The Buster' at Woolgoolga beach. (ABC News: Arianna Levy)

"It's all part of the shipwreck experience, they do generally break down over time"

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment said the sites of shipwrecks are constantly changing, meaning the environmental effects that may cause them to deteriorate over time is inevitable.

"Local communities can assist the conservation of these shipwrecks by reporting changes to their state of territory heritage agency to maintain the preservation of these historic sites" said the spokesperson.