The Castle class trawler, SS Goolgwai, was originally known as the SS Almeria when she was launched in Ontario, Canada, in 1919. She was 125.7 feet long, 23.5 feet wide, and displaced 271 tons. The ship was powered by a triple-expansion steam engine, with the steam coming from a single coal powered boiler. In 1928 the ship was sold to Red Funnel Fisheries of Sydney, and renamed the SS Goolgwai.

The wreck of the SS Goolgwai, 29 May 1955.

The Goolgwai was requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy on 13 September 1939, and subsequently fitted with a 12 pound gun, a .303 Vickers machine gun and four depth-charge launchers. The ship was also fitted with minesweeping equipment, and was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Goolgwai, minesweeper, on 6 October 1939. The HMAS Goolgwai operated initially out of Sydney Harbour and later in the Cape York/Thursday Island region, and at the conclusion of the war was returned to the owners to continue life as a fishing trawler.

The Goolgwai commenced its final voyage on 18 May 1955, heading to the NSW south coast. Following a successful 11-day trip, the Goolgwai was returning to Sydney with a haul of fish when she encountered dense fog south of Sydney. The boat's skipper, Captain Mullarkey, was unable to prevent the ship's prop from fouling on unseen rocks at Boora Point (also known as North Point), Malabar. As waves crashed over the ship, crew members jumped onto the rock platform and were helped to safety by locals and fishermen. The ship's dog, Sluggo, was lost in the wreck, but the cat was saved.

Continued pounding from heavy seas damaged the bow and hull, and on 6 June 1955 the ship broke into pieces and was washed from the rock platform into the sea. The ship, valued at 10,000 pounds, and the fish cargo worth 1,500 pounds, were both lost.