Happy Birthday Mr Darwin

Today marks the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin and five weeks until the grand opening of our forthcoming exhibition Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world.

Around the world there are celebrations, exhibitions, seminars, book launches and other activities during the whole year – not only marking 200 years since Darwin was born but 150 years since he published On the Origin of Species.

Our exhibition will be in the North Gallery and Gallery One opening to the public on Friday 20 March with material from our own collection plus The British Museum, National Maritime Museum Greenwich, Oxford University, SLNSW, National Library, Queensland and Tasmania. Some material will be on show for the first time.

We are also holding a symposium on 20 and 21 March in conjunction with the Australian Research Council – In the wake of the Beagle – Science in the southern oceans from the age of Darwin.

Cheers and enjoy the year of Darwin

Lindsey Shaw
Senior Curator Maritime Technology Exploration & Navy

 

End of the trip now lets plan the next one

All good expeditions must come to an end, equipment must be returned to its owners, expedition members returned to their families, friends and employers, charter vessels have to be cleaned, resupplied, the crew changed over and then sent back out to sea with a different set of passengers seeking different diving locations and sites.

The same applied to the Mermaid 2009 expedition. On Thursday morning we had to have everything and everyone of the vessel by 8.15 to allow the crew and the vessel to prepare for its afternoon departure.

After a hasty breakfast the packing of gear continued and cabins, storage areas, the dive deck and saloon were checked for left items, books, electrical cables, cameras, misplaced T Shirts and lost toothbrushes. While all this was going on I organised a vehicle to pick up all the offloaded equipment and arranged accomodation for those expedition members who were staying over nght in Cairns.

Peter Illidge said his goodbys and commenced his drive back to Townsville ferrying equipment we had borrowed from James Cook University and the Museum of Tropical Queensland. We also said our goodbys to Dr. Nigel Erskine and Dr. Lloyd Fletcher who were also leaving us today in Cairns.

Whilst the remaining crew were seeing the sites of Cairns – Paul Hundley, Lee Graham and I were playing material conservators – packing the artefacts recovered from HMCS Mermaid in absorbent gel and protective boxes – before they made their long trip to Sydney and into the care of the conservation section at the Australian National Maritime Museum.

In the evening the remaining crew members got together for a final meal together before flying out to their respective States. Like all good things expeditions must come to an end BUT as the evening meal progressed talk moved onto other wrecks on other reefs off the coast of Australia.

Museum archaeologist Dr. Nigel Erskine dreaming of new shipwrecks on new reefs.

Expeditions such as this one are only as successful as the crew are experienced, innovative and hard working.  A very big thankyou (in no particular order) to Peter Illidge, Warren Delaney, Ed Slaughter, Wayne Morris, Grant Luckman, Lloyd Fletcher, Elaine Cuzens, Alice Lafferty, Megan Blacker, John Mullen, Jacqui Mullen, Jenni Mullen, Stephen Day, Lindsay Birley, Greg Tanner, Scott Northcutt, Anne Northcutt, Christina Koh, Andrew Turner, Grant Bowering, Xanthe Rivett, Nikki McNicole, John McNicole, Lesley Howlett, Laurie Carrico, Mark Stewart, Cathy Stewart, Meyric Slimming, Fred Pakoa, Lee Graham, Paul Hundley and Nigel Erskine.

Mermaid Project 2009 Expedition Team

 

A big hats off to Trevor Jackson, skipper of Spoilsport, Kerrin Jones, Spoilsport Cruise Director and all of the crew at Mike Ball Dive Expeditions including Craig Stevens, Stirling Robertson,Warren Boast James, Richard Kennedy, Alex Michael, Tristan Bright, Bre Jenkins and Katrina along with the crew of Nimrod and Pirate for their hard work, professionalism and sense of humour.

Silentworld Foundation dive vessel Nimrod on station at Flora reef

I would also like to thank the expeditions sponsors Silentworld Foundation without whose assistance this expedition would not have been possible.  

Mike Ball Dive Expeditions vessel Spoilsport off Flora Reef

 

Mermaid Project Update

Soft corals on the wreck of the Merchant off Sudbury Reef, Queensland. Xanthe Rivett, ANMM

Due to the sea conditions on the HMCS Mermaid site on Flora Reef the ANMM / Silentworld expedition vessels have moved to the weatern side of Sudbury Reef.

Whilst at Sudbury the ANMM / Silentworld team have carried out a series of inspections on the wreck of the Merchant on the northern side of the reef and the Deodorus on the western side – between Stagg Patches and Sudbury Reef.

The Merchant was a 1059 ton, American built, three masted, wooden barque 167.1 feet long, with a beam of 36.2 and a depth in the hold 23.2 feet. Whilst en route from MOssman River, Qld to Melbourne with a cargo of timber the vessel ran on to a reef near Brook Island then put into Cardwell for repair. The vessel left again on the 5 March 1878 and was not seen again. Wreckage was found along the northern Queensland coast between Cardwell and Port Douglas. The remains of the vessel were later found off Sudbury Reef.

The site today consist’s of a very large bluestone ballast mound, bilge pumps, a capstan, anchor chain and the timber remains of the lower hull. The wrecksite has also become the home for thousands of softcorals.

Depending upon weather conditions the team may split with one vessel staying on station at Flora Reef with Spoilsport  heading 100 miles north up to Endeavour Reef to inspect the stranding site of HMB Endeavour in 1770.

 

On site update

Dear All, over the last couple of days a lot has been happening on the site. The first divers in yesterday were Nigel from the Museum and Greg a guest diver with our sponsor’s Silentworld. Nigel and Greg continued their remote sensing survey of the wreck – one of the more interesting items they located was a copper alloy ship’s fastening called a ‘dump’. This dump was marked with the ‘broad arrow’ – further evidence that the vessel is the colonial government owned Mermaid.

An expedition diver recording a scatter of ship's fittings from HMCS Mermaid

Other dive teams carried out surveys of the deeper waters to the south of the reef looking for any wreck material which may hae drifted off the site.

An exciting day but tinged with sadness as Elaine, Megan and Alice from Bega High School and Wayne Morris from James Cook University were leaving the expedition today. Sorry to see you go.

 

Day 5

Day 5

I don’t know its kinda weird the days at certain points seem to slow down or speed up.. today was one of those days.. started late.. got up at 7 (naughty.. sleep in) had a yummy breakfast and went for a morning snorkel tagging all the previous found objects.. well after we had the huge argument about whether we were ‘tagging’ or ‘flagging’ seeing we were tagging the objects but using flagging tape : P so after our snorkel and me pinching some tape and tying on my toe lol we had lunch PIZZA!!! Except it was so drenched in cheese so I didn’t : ( *hangs head* ive just realised that with all the snorkelling it has made my sinuses even more pooey and sensitive to dairy… *shakes fist* its not fair : ( eeeeeeee anyways I had muffins and soup yum yum and then we wandered Spoilsport and helped out, watched Yes Men and finalised yesterdays blogging.. I was really happy when I downloaded my photos and got 4 clear ones!!! Which is a new experience for me haha

So basically the day has come and go with a nice asian style dinner, more napkin folding and Bre interrupting my blogging with napkin throwing, tickling and finally a biting competition.. but I’m back now : P OH WE FOUND THE ANCHOR!!!!!! Yayness!!! We found it we found it!!!! YAY!! So yer now we just have to most defiantly prove it’s the mermaid but otherwise we’ve defiantly got a shipwreck which is defiantly looking alot like the Mermaid!! And if it is IT WILL BE SWEET.. hopefully they will let us go snorkel out over it but otherwise we have some awesome as pics thanks to Xanthe.. wonder woman with that camera : P

just 2 more days on the vessel.. its all past in a blur.. I dunno I’m just going to look back on this and be like WOW that was an experience of a life time…

Alice

P.s sorry blogs have been getting shorter.. I guess its due to lack of time/organisation/availability of laptop/battery in laptop being charged/urge to do it/major events commencing in my day…. lol I dunno hmmm..

AND FINALLY GOT MY OWN ACCOUNT WORKING YAY!!!!!!!

 

Balmain Regatta; Dusting Off the Couta

A hearty Balmain welcome

At around noon on Sunday the trusty crew of the museum’s much admired “couta boat” Thistle rowed off from the Balmain Sailing Club’s wharf. Although there was much to keep a sailor ashore, with the club house abuzz and an oasis of shaded park land offering a spectrum of  activities, with a distinct lack of coffee and continuous offers of ale, it wiser to be out of temptations’ way. Thistle, built circa 1900 requires the full command of one’s brawn to rig and sail safely. Lacking much of the mechanical advantage of a modern pleasure yacht, “ winches are for cheats” could be heard called forth to passing vessels as our apprentice shipwright hauled in on the fore sail sheet.

Sydney Harbour identity Gary Ferris and the lovely Louisa

Thistle, built for the dual purposes of a sturdy platform to fish from in the rugged water in Bass Strait out from Port Fairy and fast delivery of the catch home, she’s a fleet-of-foot work horse. In her days of labour her crew numbered only two so Sunday’s hard yakka- clad six, although dressed in spirit had a far easier time. We travelled around the inner harbour course quite well but as our lugg-rig was unable to point as high into the north easterly as Bermudan-rigged yachts around us, we were never going to challenge for the win.  But on the final leg of the race with the wind on our stern, fore sail poled out on a sweep oar, the full 472 square feet of cotton hard pressed, we flew down upon unsuspecting yachts to gain a few places.

Shore side fun; radio controlled boats and an industrial relic

Apart from us starting ten minutes later than we should have, our tactician of course hold the start boat at fault, the day was a wonderful experience. The Balmain Regatta was first run in 1849 and in its present incarnation it has becomea much loved community-based event, bringing together local businesses and residents from the Balmain peninsula and surrounds. My only regret is that the finishing line gun signalled our return Darling Harbour and not the opportunity to commune with our fellow competitors, a number of which may be a little worse for wear on Monday.

Thistle in full flight