September ~ Winter 2014 Issue 133 HMAS Pioneer Discovered

The wreck of HMAS Pioneer, a Pelorus-class light The pair, who both have backgrounds in , which served during WW1 was discovered engineering have been recreaonal divers for 30 by Sco Willan and a crew who completed the first years before they decided to purchase a Side dive with him including: Max Gleeson, Damien Scanner to assist in the search for new wrecks to Siviero, Geoff Cook and Save wood . explore. The scanner was purchased on Ebay, and formerly belonged to Marime Safety Queensland. The wreck located four kilometers out from the Sydney coastline, is an impressive 93m long and is The unit was only parally operaonal when it was sll relavely intact. However, some of the bought by Steve and Sco spent around eight superstructure and upper decks were removed prior months and more than $10,000 making it fit for use, to the wreck being sculed. to date spending more than $17,000. Another twelve months followed before the scanner was Sco and Steve came across the wreck aer analysis fine tuned and running reasonably well. of raw data provided by CSIRO, Marine Naonal Facility. Together they have been searching for Connued page four. wrecks since the purchase of their Side Scan Sonar three years ago.

HMAS Pioneer - Damien Siviero

VE Reviewers Kenneth Memorial Needed McPherson Lecture Memorial Lecture The 2014 Vaughan Evans Howard Gray, Reviews Memorial Lecture was a Editor for Great Circle has Confirmed for 14 huge success - page 6-7 Four more tles needing November. All upcoming reviewers - page 5 events page 4. Two From the President Bergen is the ancient capital of Norway and is currently its leading port for shipping, servicing the North Sea Oil fields, the Royal Members following Norwegian Navy and the fishing industry. the Associaon’s Facebook page will Both our organisaons share goals to promote have read a lile of marime history and research and I thank Atle my recent trip to and Per for taking me out to meet me to discuss Copenhagen, marime history maers and for a tour of the Stockholm, Oslo Museum. and Bergen. I took every opportunity I By the me you receive this, the annual Vaughan could to visit Evans Memorial Lecture will have been held for marime museums the first me in Brisbane at the Queensland and places of interest. I also met new member Marime Museum. Saturday 30 August was the Associate Professor Rene Paulson in Copenhagen centenary of Australia’s first ‘combined’ and Dr Atle Thowsen, Director Emeritus, and operaon with New Zealand forces landing in Associate Professor Per Sebak at the Bergen German Samoa under the guns of the Australian, Marime Museum. Brish and French Fleet and guest speaker, Captain Ian Pfennigwerth PhD RAN (Rtd) topic for The Bergen Marime Museum opened in 1921 the lecture was The at war and provides high quality presentaons on in 1914. Ian Pfennigwerth served in the RAN for Norwegian marime history (not just Bergen) and 35 years and has authored eight published books has public and academic research programs. It is on Australian naval history. also responsible for the very rich marime archaeology of the region. Peter

The historic wharf area of Bryggen in Bergen, Norway. These buildings were once the warehouses, offices and living quarters of the HanseaGc League which dominated trade into and out of many European ciGes for over 400 years. In more recent Gmes, Norway developed a formidable ship building and shipping industry. Norwegian crews and ships are very familiar with Australian ports. Even with compeGGon from Asia, Norwegian mariGme businesses are sGll prominent with companies such as the Wallenius Whilhelmson line vehicles carriers a familiar sight in Australian ports. Three

From the Editor late October event in Albany marking the RAN’s departure. Dear all, Also this issue I had the pleasure to talk to Sco This issue has Willan about his Side Scan Sonar, which he and been another Steve Lonegran are using to discover new wrecks interesng of the coast. journey, as I connue to As we approach the end of the year, I hope you learn about the have been enjoying 2014’s new look Quarterly interesng Newsleer. As always feedback and contribuons world of are welcome. Marime History. I am Safe travels. eagerly awaing the next WA event, with the Kenneth McPherson Memorial Lecture taking Sarah-Jane place at the WA Marime Museum on 14th November. I am also hoping to aend the special

HMAS Pioneer Using this method of surveying since they bough the unit Steve and Sco have discovered 17 new wrecks in the last twelve months, of those about Side Scan Sonar works by eming sounds across ten or twelve are classed as “historic” and more the sea boom, in the same way light creates than 75-years-old. Among their other discoveries lumps and shadows the scanner can provide are the original quaranne staon and mooring images of debris on the ocean floor. point off Sydney’s coast. They have also found the legacy of Australia’s WW2 defenses in One of the challenges in locang wrecks like various remnants discovered in the boom of HMAS Pioneer is sorng through vast volumes of Sydney Harbour. data, which is generated addionally to their own data, which Sco and Steve oen collect Sco explains that more than anything this kind from government departments and reassess it of work takes me and persistence. They have for potenal shipwreck targets. recently begun developing a Newsleer to recognise the contribuons of their data Sco explained this reassessment of data in the providers. search for wrecks was in part coming at it from a different perspecve. If you’d like to view the discovery of HMAS Pioneer, a video is available at vimeo.com/ ‘They are trying to put together a “google map” 89867057 and we’re trying to find someone with a pool in the backyard,’ Sco said. Anyone interested in learning more about their discoveries should contact Steve or Sco via www.nswwrecks.info Four

Brig Amity Research Continues In All Respects Ready

Since the last edion of the Quarterly David Stevens, one of Great Circle’s book Newsleer Danny Tangney has connued his reviewers, is soon to release a book of his efforts to create an exhibion remembering own. Brig Amity and verifying the accuracy of its replica. In All Respects Ready: Australia’s Navy in World War One, provides detailed and He has connued his detecve work, receiving comprehsive accounts of the RAN’s about 100 pages of documents from the State involvement in WW1. The book is described as Library of Tasmania containing records of the more than just a chronological history but an Brig Amity when she was owned by Captain engaging narrave of the war at sea. James Kelly, of Hobart Town, and was used as a whaler. Danny has also been researching social Published by Oxford University Press, the book and economic environment at the me Brig is set to become available in November, at a Amity was in service. He has also been lucky cost of $59.99. When ordering in advance from enough to gain access to the journal and www.oup.com.au/stevens, enter the code records of the current replica builder. This STEV20 for a 20%discount. imformaon he is compiling alongside his other research with the aim of creang a book.

Danny is sll working on exhibion themes, Upcoming Events while The City of Albany is focused on organizing ANZAC centenary events. • 17th-21st September 2014 10th Marime Heritage Conference (USA) - www.seahistory.org/10th-marime- heritage-conference-sept-17-21 Renovation planned • 2nd-3rd October 2014 Australian Instute of Marime Archaeology A 102-year-old Steamship from Tasmania, Conference - www.aima-underwater.org.au/ named Cartela, is likely to begin being restored. conference-2014/ • 31st October- 2nd November 2014 Albany Cartela was constructed in Hobart at Baery Convoy Commemorave Event, see website Point by Purdon and Featherstone. She was for details - www.anzaccentenary.gov.au/ intended to operate as a cargo and passenger program/acce.htm vessel. At the outbreak of WW1 she was • 2nd November 2014 requisioned by the Royal Australian Navy to Voyage to Gallipoli - Meet author Peter assist in protecng the Port of Hobart. Her rich Plowman at the Australian Naonal history is detailed on the website of Marime Museum - www.anmm.gov.au/ Steamshipcartela.com.au. whats-on/calendar/voyage-to-gallipoli • 14th November 2014 “SteamShip Cartela Limited” is the organisaon Kenneth McPherson Memorial Lecture, WA which is undertaking the project to restore her. Marime Museum They are currently waing on Federal Funding to go ahead with the project. Five

name SUTLEJ was discovered, the man was The Lost Antares buried in Warrnambool cemetery.

In 1914 the windjammer Antares was lost on the With quesons and mystery sll overhanging shores of Victoria, near Nullawerre. Originally events and her crew, descendants of those who named SUTLEJ, she was built in Glasgow in 1888, first reported the sing of the wreckage are but renamed in 1907. seeking to find possible relaves of the lost crew, somewhat of a challenge given there is no Shipping records suggest she was a regular available manifesto to reference. visitor to Australia, she would carry a general cargo that oen included items such as roofing A headstone at the single burial site is already in les and marble. existence to commemorate the event. Later this year an addional small plaque will be installed At the me of her disappearence she was long at the me of a dedicaon ceremony. overdue, when the wreck of a ship was discovered by a local resident. Lile is known of If there are individuals who have any clues or what caused the ship to be destroyed or the fate informaon regarding the Antares please contact of her crew. One body and a plank bearing the the editor (details back-page) or John Mathieson at [email protected].

Great Circle Reviews

Thank you for the response to the request for a wider circle of reviewers for the popular Book Reviews segment of The Great Circle. This has enhanced our ability to match the subject of a book with an appropriate reviewer.

The following diverse tles have recently arrived for review: Encountering The Pacific, Koombana Days, Salt Story and Commerce Raiding, The Pearl King and Watersiders.

If these are in your field of experse let me know – they may be sll available. As many of you have your own works published, don’t forget The Great Circle is a great place to have them reviewed and brought to the aenon of your intended audience.

If you are interested please contact Howard Gray, Great Circle Reviews editor (details back-page). Six Vaughan Evans Memorial Lecture

This years Vaughan Evans Memorial Lecture was a happened well before that, and in Australia’s back great success, coinciding with the opening of yard, largely thanks to the men of the Royal Queensland Marime Museum’s new WW1 Australian Navy. exhibion, “They went by ship to foreign shores”. At the me of the outbreak of WW1 The 35 people aended the event including special Australian Fleet, was the most modern and guest Captain Patrick Quirk, General Manager of powerful force in the Western Pacific. Prior to its Marime Safety Queensland. arrival in October 1913 the strategic situaon in the region had been tense with the ’s Ian Jempson gave a short opening speech older China fleet, unable to cope with the more welcoming the guests and commemorang the advanced German East Asiac Cruiser Squadron. great contribuon of Vaughan Evans to the AAMH. One of the most contenous issues at this me was the way in which officials at Whitehall tried This year Captain Ian Pfennigwerth PhD RAN (rtd) to conduct a war 12,000 miles away, without the was the speaker. His service in the RAN included luxury of instant communicaons and reliable appointments as the Director of Naval intelligence abilies we enjoy today. Vice Admiral Intelligence and, a two year posng as Defence George Patey was constantly receiving conflicng Aache in Beijing. commands and was oen sent to locaons where his powerful force was ineffecve. The lecture outlined the story of what was essenally a naval campaign to engage and defeat During his talk Captain Pfennigwerth discussed the German naval forces in the Pacific and the role of Patey in developing a strategy which supplant the German colonial government from would help negate the threat of the German fleet its Pacific possessions. It highlighted the efforts its on shipping lanes and coastal selements in the architect, Rear Admiral and later Vice Admiral Sir South Pacific. George Patey KCVO.

Commentators frequently claim that Australia Patey went on to direct a number of missions ‘came of age’ as an outcome of the doomed against the German fleet and colonies, many of landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915. which were successful. Ian Pfennigwerth suggests that this

Photos: Far Left: Rosie Field Far Right: Don Braben and Rosie Field Seven

On this day... Less than two weeks later Australian naval personnel died in combat fighng under the Australian flag on a foreign shore capturing New The VEML for 2014 was held on the centenary Britain and the Australian submarine AE1 was lost date of the first combined operaon including with all hands near Rabaul on 14 September Australia. Under the protecon of Australian, 1914. French and Brish warships, New Zealand troops captured German Samoa.

2005 he was awarded his PhD by the University About Ian of Newcastle and has since turned his aenon to Australia's naval history and related subjects.

In his eight published books, Ian’s research has covered subjects from code breaking to the applicaon of intelligence to naval operaons, the RAN's role in the Malayan Emergency and Indonesian Confrontaon, the RAN in the Pacific War 1941-45, and two books on the cruiser HMAS Perth, one the story the ship and the second a biography of her medical officer taken POW in 1942. Ian also provided the narrave for the history of the first 25 years of the Australian Defence Force Academy, released in 2013.

A new book on the Pacific campaign fought against the Germans by the RAN in 1914-15 will be released in September 2014, and a short guide to Australia's naval history is being readied for Web publicaon. Ian’s current research embraces the story of honours and awards made to RAN personnel since 1900. He contributed the naval chapter to the book Australia in the Shadow of War, 1942, and its sequel, The Liberaon of New Guinea 1943, published by Ian Jempson and Captain Ian Pfennigwerth Cambridge University Press, and is working on a similar chapter for the third book in the series.

Aer 35 years in the Royal Australian Navy, Ian is a regular contributor of arcles and reaching the rank of Captain; during that me he reviews to a number of journals, is a member of commanded guided missile destroyer HMAS the editorial commiee for the RUSI NSW Perth. Ian Pfennigwerth worked in internaonal quarterly United Service and is frequently business development unl rering in 2000. In invoted to address community groups on naval history topics. Committee President Thank You! Peter Ridgway [email protected] Next Issue of AAMH Vice President Quarterly Newsleer will be Chris Maxworthy available in December. [email protected] Contribuons and feedback are always welcome! Secretary Colin Harvey Safe travels! [email protected] Don’t forget to like our Facebook page.

Treasurer Malcolm Tull Editors [email protected] The Great Circle Editor Michael McCarthy [email protected] State Representatives Shipwreck Galleries, Cliff Street, Fremantle, WA South Australia 616 James Hunter Queensland Book Reviews Editor Dr Howard Gray Ian Jempson [email protected] Northern Territory P.O. Box 1559, GERALDTON WA 6530 Paul Clark Victoria Newsletter Editor Mark Howard Sarah-Jane Aston New South Wales 0400466485 Chris Maxworthy [email protected] Tasmania 3/89 Thelma Street, Como, WA 6152 TBA