The 18-month long exhibition kicks off mid-2018 culminating with a three month showing at the national museum headquarters in Darling Harbour.

The Wollongbar II was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off Crescent Head on April 29, 1943.

A room dedicated to the wreck at the Port Macquarie base of the Mid North Coast Maritime Museum contains a number of items from the Wollongbar II.

It is expected those items, which include a butterbox, a life buoy and the ship’s stamp will feature at Darling Harbour.

Museum coordinator Ted Kasehagen said the three items were last week photographed and will be printed on banners to form part of the exhibition.

“The travelling exhibition will relate stories of shipwrecks that have occurred in Australian coastal and waterways,” Mr Kasehagen said.

“It is quite exciting that Port Macquarie and the Wollongbar II will feature in this exhibition titled Submerged.

“Plans are for the project to be completed mid next year and for the exhibition to tour Australian maritime museums for the following 18 months.

“The Wollongbar II, unlike so many ships that serviced the North Coast run in NSW, was kept down south because she had large refrigerated holds that could transport much needed food to the people of Sydney during the war.”

Mr Kasehagen said most seaworthy vessels had been sent north to the Pacific Islands and to Australia’s northern coastline in efforts to stop the advance of the Japanese.

The Wollonbar II sinking had one side effect for the residents of Port Macquarie: its cargo included hundreds and hundreds of butter boxes – a prized commodity at the time of rations.

“Butter boxes were found all along our shores, from Limeburners Creek to the Manning River,” Mr Kasehagen said.

“The local people were overjoyed to be able to bake scones, pies and cakes.”