Shipwrecks of Tasmania

Shipwrecks of Tasmania are shipwrecks which have occurred in and around the island state of Tasmania, Australia.

Geographical and historical background

Tasmania is an island and since the time of European colonisation by the British, the population had been entirely reliant upon the sea for all physical contact with the outside world, until the development of links by air.

Since European discovery in 1642 by the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, many explorers and many vessels visited Tasmania, or Tasmania's waters. Following the establishment of a British settlement in 1803 at Hobart, a local boat building industry began almost immediately. Since that time Tasmania has had a very strong connection to the sea, and both commercial and recreational sailing has been a constant feature of Tasmania's history.

Tasmania's geographical position latitude 42° south, longitude 147° east, is along the line of latitude that places it in the path of the powerful winds known as the roaring forties, a band of westerly winds which blow across the southern ocean. Mariners of the 18th and 19th centuries utilised these winds to shorten the time it took them to reach Australia after rounding the Cape of Good Hope on their way from Europe. However, these same winds also lead to the destruction of many vessels in raging seas and fierce storms. Over 1,000 vessels are known to have been wrecked in Tasmanian waters, including the eighth oldest known wreck in Australia, the Sydney Cove.

The Tasmanian coastline also posed several risks for mariners in the age of sail. It is regularly interspersed with jagged cliffs and submerged off shore rocks. Also many of the inlets and bays which do provide shelter have dangerous entrances. The weather which affects Tasmania has also contributed to many wrecks. Tasmania can be susceptible to violent storms, such as the one which sank five boats competing in the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

Many of the wrecks in Tasmanian Waters have claimed lives, and the waters surrounding the island remain a watery grave for them. This list includes many vessels marked (X) that were lost with all hands in the so-called Bass Strait Triangle.

List of known Tasmanian wrecks accompanied by loss of life, and others

Some significant wrecks without loss of life

Legends

The George III convict ship wreck is one example of a story which changed completely due to verbal history.[2]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "WRECK OF THE S.S. GRAFTON.". The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954) (Hobart, Tas.: National Library of Australia). 14 June 1898. p. 2. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Tasmanian Shipwreck Legend". Mmnet.com.au. 1998-10-09. Retrieved 2012-07-07.

References

  • Broxam, Graeme; Nash, Michael (1998). Tasmanian Shipwrecks (1797-1899). Canberra: Navarine Publishing. ISBN 978-0-958-65615-3.
  • Broxam, Graeme; Nash, Michael (2000). Tasmanian Shipwrecks (1899-1999). Canberra: Navarine Publishing. ISBN 978-0-958-65616-0.

External links

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