SS Petriana On 28 November 1903, the Petriana spilled 1,300 tonnes of crude oil in Port Phillip Bay. It was Australia's first recorded major oil spill. SS Petriana was an iron screw steamer built in 1879 that was converted into an oil tanker. On 28 November 1903, while transporting 1,300 tonnes of petroleum from Borneo to Australia, it struck a reef near Point Nepean, Victoria, outside … Continue reading On this day (Australia): In 1903, Australia had its first major oil spill, which exposed the barbarity of the White Australia Policy