Shipwreck Treasures of the Great Barrier Reef
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is known for its stunning beauty and diverse marine life, but it holds another secret below the waves. For over 230 years the Great Barrier Reef has been collecting the carcasses of ships that sailed too close to its treacherous corals.
It is estimated as many as 1,200 ships have met their end on the Reef, with only 114 vessels being accounted for so far. Filled with tales of mutinies, lost gold and tragic mistakes, the shipwrecks of the Great Barrier Reef are rich in historical significance.
Dr. Maddy McAllister is the Senior Curator of Maritime Archaeology at the Queensland Museum and James Cook University. She joins 2SER to explain what we can learn about the past from maritime exploration of these lost vessels.
To learn more about shipwrecks on the Great Barrier Reef, check out Dr. McAllister’s article in The Conversation.
