Uncovering the South Australian
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Hunter’s hunt
James Hunter learnt of the South Australian while studying for his doctoral degree in Adelaide. He was amazed that the state’s oldest known European shipwreck had never been found, and so started researching in his spare time.
When he joined the Australian National Maritime Museum, the maritime archaeology team was looking for interstate shipwreck projects. He suggested South Australian because he’d already done some of the research, and the wreck should be in shallow water and could probably be found.
In April 2018, the team started its search. And found it – right where James’s archival sleuthing suggested it would be. It was surprisingly intact.
See what they discovered.
Lasting logs
Logbooks record ships’ lives – where they went and why, what they carried and who was on board, plus the weather they experienced and anything that happened along the way.
They’re invaluable records for researchers.
South Australian only had its final name for 13 months, but they were a busy period for the vessel, with enough activity to completely fill this 128-page logbook and start a second one.
Important information from this logbook:
- Mentions four grindstones loaded as cargo in November 1836 – one could be the one found on the wreck.
- Notes damage from colliding with a steamship in Plymouth Harbour, which can still be seen in the form of a large sheet of lead used to repair the stem timber in the bow.
Logbook from the collection of the State Library of South Australia, BRG 42/78.
Unfortunately South Australian wrecked just two months after its Chief Officer started the second logbook, so it only has 11 pages of entries. Crucially, however, one of them is the detailed first-hand account of the vessel’s loss.
The information helped James and the team locate the wreck.
It describes how a fierce gale and failing anchors drove the ship onto a reef, despite the best efforts of its crew.
The ship had been moored with two anchors set. When the first anchor chain broke, they set another and took down the upper rigging. But the anchors dragged as the gale pushed the ship onto a reef and the rope to the new anchor snapped. The ship was being smashed against the reef, so they joined the broken anchor chain to the one still attached, and gradually fed it out, so the ship could pass over the reef, into the smoother water behind it. Once there, the final anchor failed and the ship ran aground, but in calm enough water that they could launch its boats and get everyone safely ashore.
Decr 8/37 Friday - Barque
South Australian Lying in Rosetta CoveAt 5:30 PM the ship struck very heavy; bent on a part of the starboard chain which parted close to the buoy being about 12 fathoms; veered it out on the larboard anchor to let the ship drive over the reef in to the smooth water.
At 6:15 PM the larboard cable parted, the stream having parted when first we struck; the ship came broadside on for a few minutes; the second strike unshipped the rudder and carried away the pintles and gudgeons.
At 7 PM the breakers increasing, lowered the starboard quarter boat and landed Sir J.W. Jeffcott and Mr. John Hindmarsh Junior and Mr. David McLaren, Esquire [illegible] , passengers.
At 7:30 PM the boat returned and lowered the larboard quarter boat and saved some of the passengers’ things, and [those of the] crew, with several other articles of ships stores out of the cabin.
At 8:30 PM the gale very heavy; ship on her beam ends; was forced to leave the ship for the night.
Logbook from the collection of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia
Working out where
In the years since it disappeared beneath the waves, the precise location of South Australian’s wreck was forgotten. However, James unearthed paintings, charts and sketch maps created shortly after the disaster, that showed where it had been.
The team used these, plus anecdotal accounts from locals and the results of archaeological surveys carried out in the 1990s, to set a search area of twelve 100-metre x 100-metre grid squares.
With seas initially too rough to use the research vessel, the team waded the shallow areas of the search grid, armed with metal detectors. They found several artefacts, including fasteners and hull fragments.
The weather improved and on 20 April the team donned their snorkelling gear. Soon a shout of ‘Pink tubes!’ carried across the water. A series of copper bolts, scoured pink by the sand, were spotted poking up from the seabed.
Subsequent dives and discoveries confirmed it – South Australian had been found.
(Left to right) Maddy Chadrasekaran, Rick Bullers, Tim Zapor and Paul Hundley conduct a metal detector sweep.
Image: Irini Malliaros/Silentworld Foundation
Copper bolts appear as ‘pink tubes’ – the first part of the wreck spotted.
Image: Kieran Hosty/ANMM
Fixings, flints and fragments
These artefacts were recovered from the wreck. Most are small or broken, having been battered by waves and scoured by sand for nearly 200 years. It took keen-eyed archaeologists to find them among the sand and seagrass.
Once spotted by the divers, the team photographed them and recorded their precise locations, then carefully brought them to the surface.
Ashore they needed conservation treatment to remove salts, slowly dry them out and stop them deteriorating.
They may not look like much, but each has a story to tell.
Half of the whetstone discovered at the shipwreck site
Image: Irini Malliaros/Silentworld Foundation
Both halves of the whetstone in situ in South Australian’s bow
Image: Irini Malliaros/Silentworld Foundation
Very whetstone
Whetstones are used for sharpening tools and knives. This one is broken. The break may have happened when South Australian wrecked, but we’ll never know for certain.
It is in fresh water to draw out the salt that accumulated in it after nearly two centuries immersed in seawater. The water is changed and tested regularly. When the salt levels get low enough, it can be carefully dried.
The whetstone might have been used by the whalers or, if it was already broken, carried as ballast. The logbook shows four ‘grindstones’ were loaded as cargo in Plymouth – perhaps it was one of them.
Below: Circular whetstone/grinding stone recovered from South Australian’s bow section and likely manufactured from sandstone. This artefact is broken roughly in half. It features a central square aperture that would have accommodated an axle for a hand crank or foot pedal that was used to regulate its rate of spin, thereby controlling the sharpening process.
3D object photogrammetry by Rampe Realistic Imaging Pty Ltd. Objects courtesy Heritage South Australia, SA Department for Environment and Water.
Big bolt
This copper bolt is the same as the ‘pink tubes’ that were the first part of the wreck to be spotted. (Those are still in place sticking up from the seafloor).
It’s no longer very pink because its metallic surface has reacted with oxygen in the atmosphere to form a green patina. It was found in the bow of the ship, and shows.how thick the timbers must have been, to need such big bolts.
Repair patch
It might not look like much, but this scrap of metal helps tell the ship’s story. It’s a lead patch called a ‘tingle’ and would have been used to plug leaks. It tells of the ship’s long life and long voyages – after all its adventures, it would have needed patching up.
Naval nail
Copper nails secured the hull timbers. There is a very small arrow stamped on this one. It’s called a ‘Broad Arrow’ and means it belonged to the British government. It’s the only artefact found so far that reveals the ship’s Royal Navy service.
Copper bolt found lying loose. The timber it once passed through has long-since disintegrated.
Image: Kieran Hosty/ANMM
The lead tingle prior to recovery in November 2022.
Image: Irini Malliaros/Silentworld Foundation
Mystery flints
It’s a mystery how the archaeologists spotted these in the first place, and a mystery what they were for. Flints were used to fire ‘flintlock’ rifles and pistols and as firelighters. But these are too big for the former and the wrong shape for the latter. Perhaps they were used to fire bigger weapons, like harpoon guns, which may have been aboard for whaling.
Below: Five of the six large trapezoidal stone gunflints recovered from South Australian’s stern-midships section. All are larger than standard flintlock gunflints of the period and were likely used in conjunction with a firearm with a larger-than-average flintlock mechanism, such as a harpoon gun.
Posh passengers and drunken sailors
On South Australian they found a lot of broken bottles of alcohol, and some fragments of fancy, decorated ceramic plates. As well as being interested in what they find on wrecks, archaeologists also take note of where things are found.
The bottles were in the bow (front) of the ship, where the ship’s crew of sailors and whalers lived in the forecastle. The pottery was near the stern (back), the position of the accommodation for the ship’s officers and wealthy passengers. What does this tell us about life on board?
James Hunter
Fancy china
This piece of ceramic decorated with a ‘Blue Willow Pattern’ was most likely part of a large bowl, basin or pitcher. Decorated pottery was expensive, so it probably belonged to Captain MacFarlane or one of the officers or passengers.
Loads of spirit
Being wedged between two framing timbers protected this bottle from the waves. The broken fragments show that many others weren’t so lucky (and that there was plenty of alcohol on board).
Image: James Hunter/ANMM
Fragment from the rim of a ceramic plate discovered in the stern section.
Image: Irini Malliaros/Silentworld Foundation
Intact dark green bottle found wedged between two timber frames.
Image: James Hunter/ANMM
Below: Selection of intact bottles and bottle fragments recovered from South Australian’s bow section in 2019 and 2022. All bottles are of c. 1830s vintage and those manufactured from dark olive-green glass would have contained alcohol, while the smaller aqua glass example likely contained medicine or ginger beer.
Tapes, slates and stripey sticks
These are some of the tools the team used to study and record information about the wreck and its artefacts.
The tape allows precise measurements for drawing site plans and measuring timbers, artefacts and features.
The plastic slates are underwater notebooks; divers use pencils to jot down information on mylar sheets.
The stripey sticks are scale rulers. They’re placed alongside items to be photographed, to show how big they are. This one is American so is in feet and inches.
The museum’s Kieran Hosty (foreground) and Dr James Hunter map South Australian’s midships section in June 2022.
Irini Malliaro, Silentworld Foundation.
Heather Berry making notes for a conservation assessment of South Australian’s timbers.
Image: Irini Malliaros/Silentworld Foundation
Irini Malliaros places a photographic scale for the 3D photogrammetric survey.
Image: Heather Berry/Silentworld Foundation
Take a bow
This is a 3D model of South Australian’s bow created from 3D photogrammetric surveys of the wreck. This is created using hundreds of high-resolution photos taken during the 2019 fieldwork and are combined by computer to create a 3D model.
Dive deeper into the story in Signals
Artful archaeology
Artists and archaeologists are a powerful combination.
Telling South Australian’s story through different mediums showcases it to new audiences and helps bring to life the adventures of this significant vessel.
