Archaeologists are sure they have found the remains of 800 tonnes of Dutch merchant ship. Australian coast 168 years ago.
Koning Willem de Tweede was lost near Robe, Australia in June 1857, killing 16 of the 25 crew.
The “Corresponding Discoveries” was announced this week by the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Silent World Foundation after four years of searching.
The discovery “connects us to the trade and migration stories that left over 400 Chinese miners discharged hospital a few days before the sinking,” the museum said in a social media post about the discovery.
A painting by Koning Willem de Tweede, an 800-ton Dutch merchant ship that sank off the coast of Australia 168 years ago. (Australian National Maritime Museum)
James Hunter, the representative maritime archaeology manager at the Australian National Maritime Museum, told Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) on Wednesday that archaeologists had discovered several components of the ship.
“We saw the depth of the ship – something like a draft. And we saw the depth of the water it sat in, and it all seemed to line up really well,” he told ABC the confidence they had found that last resting place.
He added that researchers also found “magnetic anomalies” that were the same length as the 140-foot vessel.
The museum said the discovery was a collaboration between a nonprofit organization supporting underwater archaeology and the SilentWorld Foundation, which supports the Ministry of Environment and Water and Flinders University in South Australia.
Ship components were found on the seabed. (Australian National Maritime Museum)
“This important discovery, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Dutch cultural heritage institutions, represents the culmination of dedicated research since 2022,” the museum said on Facebook on Tuesday. “Future monitoring visits are planned to further evaluate the site and discover more of this important part Maritime history. ”
“When the weather was nice enough, they carried out the wreck investigation work,” SilentWorld told Facebook Wednesday. “In relation to the team above, the latest visit to Robe has made it more likely that a shipwreck will be identified. The visibility was challenging, but it’s enough for the team to make this incredible call!”
Divers exploring the shipwreck of Koning Willem de Tweede. (Australian National Maritime Museum)
Hunter told ABC that the ship may have been stranded on the seabed and buried in sand.
The team thought they had found the shipwreck three years ago, but the hunters said the sand made visibility difficult.
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“You don’t need anything to stir the sand. It’s sort of sitting on a suspension like you’re in the water in a snowstorm,” he said.
