'Qrbe ~bark TSap maritime T!)eritage ~tubp Presented by The W A Maritime Museum and the Shark Bay Shire February 1997 .- Compilers D. Garratt, M. McCarthy, S. McGann, A. Metcalf COD!ributors: D. Cooper, R. Cooper, R Dickson, N. Erskine, D. Garratl, M. McCarthy, S. McGann, A. Metcalf, M Gibbs, V. Moran, F. Sawday, M. Stanbury, The Shire of Shark Bay. Report: Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Maritime Museum. No. 120 © W." . MUSEUM • ,. Acknowledgments The Shire of Shark Bay Less Moss: Shire President Mr Terry Pearson Shire Clerk to April 1996 Alan Biggs: Shire Clerk from May 1996 Craig Tumour: Finance and Administration Manager The Maritime Museum's Research Team Mr Darren Cooper, B.Se (Hon,) Mr Nigel Erskine, B.A. Grad. Dip. Mar AIe. Ms Dena Garratt, B.A. Grad .. dip. Mar AIe .. Grad Dip ILS Or Martin Gibbs, B.Se (Hon,)., Ph.D. Or Michael McCarthy, Dip. P.E., B.Ed., Grad. Dip. Mar AIe .. M.Phii, Ph.D. Ms Sally McGann B.Sc (Hon,). Ms Andrea Metcalf BA Cult.Her. Studs. Ms Vivienne Moran B.App Se .. Grad. Dip. Mar AIe. Maritime Museum Staff Ms Sally May, Head Department of Maritime history Ms Sue Cox, Departmental Secretary, Librarian Ms Dena Garratt, Librarian and Acting Departmental Secretary Or Michael McCarthy, Curator and Operations Manager Ms Myra Stanbury, BA, B Se. Curator (Artefacts) Mrs Fairlie Sawday, DipPhysio. Artefact Registrar Staff of The Battye Library (State Library of Western Australia) The Royal Western Australian Historical Society The Western Australian Maritime Museum Individual Researchers Mr Russell Cooper Mr Rod Dickson (Hon. Assoc., W A Maritime Museum), Figure 1 . THE SHARK BAY AREA WESTERN AUSTRALIA BAY WOOrrJ/TItI/ R. Monkey Mio (\Four. "Jlslond 1 N 01 AN USi/les s Inlet . Helrisson Prono OCEAN o 20 40km I. THE SHARK BAY STUDY Introduction Though most maritime regional centres, such as Esperance, Albany, Augusta, Bunbury, Geraldton, Carnarvon, Broome and Wyndham are well served by both historical societies and regional museums, it has long been recognised that there are some areas in Western Australia such as Port Hedland, Exmouth and Shark Bay that are as yet poorly-served with respect to such facilities. The reasons are numerous, ranging from the size and spread of the populations served by the regional centres, through to the demography and the transient nature of the populous itself. Despite this, there is no lack of interest in the maritime history of the three regions noted. The South Hedland library, for example contains a good collection of reproduced archival material, as does the Karratha college. There are also a number of maritime heritage interest groups in the areas noted. The Port Hedland Region Maritime History Association, for example, developed in recent years from the activities of the SS Koombanah (1908-1912) Search Committee and the Shark Bay Maritime Heritage Association was formed following its acquisition of the pearling lugger Galli Curci .. Some individuals in Exmouth have also been very active in recent times, with indications of a growing interest in the maritime heritage of the region. Over the past few years these individuals and bodies have been assisted in their functions as part of the Western Australian Maritime Museum's Outreach program. In Exmouth, for example, a movement has been established with a view to establishing an 'anchor walk' and a wreck access facility based on successful examples in other centres. The Maritime museum has also been active in assisting the Shire of Port Hedland in the development of its heritage centre. Despite the richness of their maritime heritage, access to archival material in some of these centres is still lacking, with Exmouth and Shark Bay two notable examples. It had long been recognised that Shark Bay contains a significant number of maritime sites. In 1986, for example the then Director of the W A Museum wrote to the State Planning Commission recognising the existence of Aboriginal sites, wrecks associated with whaling, guano mining, sandalwood trade, pearling. fishing and general carrying). land sites associated with those wrecks, notably the VOC ship Zuytdorp (1702-1711) and the French whaler Perseverant (1837-1841), land sites associated with maritime industries (guano mining, pearling, fIShing, salt works and timber mills. station landings. lighthouses. a military establishment, two lock hospitals and unidentified structures appearing as stone wall at Crayfish Bay. This reply had been prepared from research conducted by Curator of maritime archaeology Ms Myra Stanbury. As part of its wreck research program the Department of Maritime Archaeology had also compiled a series of files on the wrecks of the State, including a series on the shipwrecks from 1622. Some of this material is relevant to the Bay. For the people of the Shark Bay region, this material was not sufficient and on 12 February 1996, following discussions between the Shire President and the co-ordinator of the Western Australian Maritime Museum's Outreach Program. the Shire of Shark Bay commissioned the Department of Maritime Archaeology at the Museum to conduct a study designed to achieve the aims outlined below. 11 The Study Aims # To assist and supervise recognised scholars to research and compile from archives, copies or facsimiles of historic documents, maps, photographs, images and artefacts in relation to the early explorers, beginning of settlement as well as the more recent history of Shark Bay. # To amalgamate all the data collected in that study into a compilation encompassing the maritime culture and maritime heritage of Shark Bay and produce a catalogue of artefacts relevant to the Bay. # To present the materials in a 'user friendly' format in order to be easily accessed by the public, primarily the people of Shark Bay. From this beginning, it was hoped that scholars and interested members of the public could access the facility which was to be housed at Shark Bay and that the Shire of Shark Bay could commission the writing of a history of the bay based on the materials collated and compiled. Dr Michael McCarthy of the Department of Maritime Archaeology was nominated as supervisor and co-author of the study and was empowered to select staff, co-ordinate the project and liaises with the Shire of Shark Bay. The Shire of Shark Bay allocated the sum of $12000 to the Maritime Museum in order to facilitate the study. The Museum, for its part was to provide its facilities and staff time. For the purposes of this study the historic sites in the Bay were grouped into the main sub heads of Aboriginal people Artefactual collection Early charts and maps Exploration Dutch French British Fishing Film and video General Information (Including Customs, Police, Sheep stations, the environment, social history, tourism and fiction) Guano mining Heritage Sites H.M.A.S. Sydney I H.S.K. Kormoran Jetties and Port Related Structures Lighthouses Military History North west Coastal Trade Pearling Pearling A-K Pearling L-N Pearling O-Z Pearling Button Manufacture Pearling Camps Chinese Customs Exports & Markets Labour Leases Legislation Licenses Luggers Prices Regulations Pictorial Collection Shipwrecks and shipwreck survivor's camps Sandalwood Trade Shipwrecks Shipwrecks General Shipwreck - Gudrun Shipwreck Survivors' Camps Shipwreck ZuytdoUJ Whaling Material on these sections is stored in the data base in files according to the sub heads above. These categories are also reflected in the card index and in the bibliography appearing at the end of this summary. accounting of expenditure appearing as an appendix indicates that the grant was expended in full . .. Study Format a) Staff. The research team itself team divided according to a variety of subject headings. Coordinator and Project Supervisor Dr M McCarthy Co· compilers MsDGarratt Ms A Metcalfe MsS MeGann Specialist Researchers Mr Darren Cooper. The military at Shark Bay Mr Russell Cooper. Shark Bay contemporary history and fishing Mr Rod Dickson Boats registered at Shark Bay, boatbuilding Mr Nigel Erskine: Holdings of tbe Bauye Library Ms Dena Garratt Museum flies, artefact registers, Battye library pen;onal papers Or Martin Gibbs: Whaling and Cape inscription site Or Micbael McCartby: Pearling, Broadhurst, HMAS Sydney, vac ship Zuycdorp, book purchases. Ms Sally McGann: Pearling, Legislation and Wilyah Miah Ms Andrea MelcaJf: Pictorial collection, holdings of tbe RW AHS Vivienne Moran: Maritime history collection Fairlie Sawday: Artefact list bl Research Stages Bookshops These were scoured for early literature on the area resulting in the acquisition of editions ranging from historical fiction e.g., HH Wilson's Where the Wind's Feet Shine. an historical fiction on the Bay and its people, through to Dampier's explorations and modern works by scholars such as Prof Leslie Marchant on the French exploration and Gunter Schilder's Voyage to the Great South Land. A set of prints including the de Vlamingh map and water colours has also been obtained for exhibition at the Bay These acquisitions resulted in the expenditure of a large pOl1ion of the grant. Research Researchers, Darren Cooper, Nigel Erskine, Dena Garratt, Martin Gibbs, Sally McGann and Vivienne Moran, all graduates of the Archaeology Course at University of W A and the Post Graduate Diploma in Maritime Archaeology were employed on contract for a variety of periods to conduct research into areas of their particular interest and expertise as indicated above. Ms Garratt, a trained librarian, also assisted in developing the data compilation and recovery system. The project leader provided notes from his research into the early days at Wilyiah Miah, centring on C.E. Broadhurst and Capt. Francis Cadell, two prominent early pearlers. Ms Mr Russell Cooper of Geraldton, both assisted and utilised the study in preparation for his Shark Bay Oddessy, a commentary on the Bay beginning in the days before European settlement, but concentrating on the period post 1920.