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Media Release - July 2006
Images to accompany release
 

The South Australian Maritime Museum’s highly popular exhibition ‘Wrecked, Tragedy and the Southern Seas’, will now tour nationally thanks to a Visions of Australia grant.

The early South Australian colony was totally dependent on the sea for trade, industry, culture, migration, travel and survival.  Shipwrecks could lose an entire community’s supplies or destroy valuable export goods that generated much-needed revenue.  These were the days when travel by ship could be extremely dangerous or fatal.

One of the most catastrophic maritime disasters in our history is the sinking of the Star of Greece.  After leaving Port Adelaide with a heavy load of 16,002 bags of wheat, the Star of Greece ran into a violent storm off Port Willunga in the early hours of Friday 13 July 1888.  19 people died in the cold sea before the life-saving equipment arrived 14 hours after the ship had sunk.  It was later revealed that the Government of the time had drastically reduced funding that kept safety crews and equipment up to date.  In response to public outrage, Parliament appointed a Select Committee to enquire into the tardiness of the rescue effort and the inadequacies of South Australia’s maritime safety infrastructure.

On display from the Museum’s own collection will be the figurehead from the Star of Greece which is one of South Australia’s most significant maritime treasures, a box that held the ship’s compass, beautiful detailed carvings from the ship and original songs and poems that were written at the time to commemorate the shipwreck.  This is the first time the Museum’s shipwreck collection, along with that of the Heritage Branch, Department of Environment and Heritage, will be brought together and shown outside the Museum.

Another dark moment in our colonial past is the wreck of the beautiful steamship, Admella, and the deaths of 89 passengers.  Only 24 were saved.   The ship struck a reef off Carpenter Rocks on its way from Adelaide to Melbourne in the early hours of 6 August 1859.   Most people on board were prominent, wealthy South Australians and the ship carried a rich cargo of copper, wool, eggs and four racehorses.

Pounding seas thwarted all rescue attempts and the tragedy continued for seven days.  Many people took days to die as they glimpsed the land from the sea and watched as one rescue attempt after another failed.  The wreck of the Admella brought South Australia to its knees and affected every aspect of life.  Parliament adjourned and businesses closed as the colony worked together to raise money for the Admella Reward and Relief Fund.  Objects in the exhibition include some awards given to rescuers for bravery as well as china and fittings from the ship.

Exhibition Curator, Bill Seager says, “We felt it was important to present the drama, tragedy, people and extraordinary events surrounding some of these shipwrecks and at the same time illustrate their impact on the colony and the country itself. We also saw an opportunity to bring to life some of our most beautiful and intriguing shipwreck treasures, and give everybody a chance to enjoy them.”

Confirmed locations for the travelling exhibition include the National Archives of Australia in Canberra, the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Whyalla Maritime Museum, Warrnambool Art Gallery, Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery and Riddoch Art Gallery in Mount Gambier.

The exhibition is supported by Flinders Ports and Pacific Marine Batteries and developed and toured with the support of Visions of Australia, an Australian Government program providing funding assistance for the development and touring of cultural material across Australia.