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New Documentary Reveals the Forgotten Story of the Stockton Bight Disaster
A new documentary, ‘Operation Seagull: The Stockton Bight Disaster’, sheds light on one of Australia's most overlooked military tragedies, bringing long-buried details of the 1954 disaster to a new generation.
Produced and created by Newcastle’s Jacob Ure, through his online channel ‘Our Past’, the 42-minute documentary examines the events of 8 March 1954, when a large-scale military training exercise off Stockton Bight went catastrophically wrong. In dangerous sea conditions, multiple amphibious vehicles were overwhelmed, leading to the deaths of multiple servicemen and leaving a lasting impact on all those involved.
Ure, whose history-focused videos have gained significant interest on social media, took on the project after a chance meeting with a survivor of the disaster.
“Despite the scale of the incident, the Stockton Bight Disaster has remained largely absent from public memory. Operation Seagull draws together archival material, survivor accounts, and historical research to reconstruct what happened that night, and why it still matters today.” said Ure.
“It was a serious training disaster that cost lives, involved dozens of servicemen, leaving psychological scars and rusting wrecks submerged offshore. For more than 70 years, the full story has gone untold.”
“The support from the City of Newcastle via grant funding has been vital in ensuring this story could be told by the men involved, before it was too late.” he added.
The film has been supported by the City of Newcastle through its Arts, Culture and History grant, recognising the project’s importance to the region’s shared history.
Operation Seagull will be released on February 20, 2026 and will be free to view online via the Our Past YouTube channel, making the story accessible to local audiences with an interest in Australia’s military past.
A second instalment is already in development and will be released mid-year. That follow-up documentary will see divers return to Stockton Bight to locate, explore, and map the submerged military vehicles that remain on the seabed, helping preserve the story for future generations.
The film forms part of a broader effort to document and protect Newcastle and the Hunter’s lesser-known historical stories before they are lost.
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Title: Operation Seagull: The Stockton Bight Disaster
Runtime: 42 minutes
Availability: Free online viewing
Producer and creator: Jacob Ure, Our Past
Funding support: City of Newcastle (Arts, Culture and History grant)
Photos and other digital assets available HERE
Project webpage: https://www.ourpast.au/operation-seagull
Project contact: Jacob Ure jacob@ourpast.au
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