Western Australia Minister for Culture and the Arts John Day

Bunbury Shipwreck Confirmed As Samuel Wright

Victor P Taffa

• Maritime archaeologists confirm origins of wooden shipwreck
• The wreck has been buried again to ensure its preservation
• Find offers educational, archaeological and historical potential

A shipwreck found at Koombana Bay in Bunbury in February has been confirmed as the American whaling ship Samuel Wright.

The ship was lost in a storm on July 8, 1840 and is historically significant as it was one of the first American ships to visit Western Australia’s south coast to conduct seasonal whaling activities.

Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said the importance of the find was wide-reaching.

“Visits by American whaling ships, including the Samuel Wright, were crucial to the viability of early Western Australian coastal settlements such as Bunbury, Flinders Bay (Augusta) and King George Sound, bringing communications and trade.” Mr. Day said.

“The Samuel Wright has high research potential to obtain further information on North American whaling activities, ship layout, cargo packaging techniques and long-distance voyaging in the early 19th century.”

The excavation is archaeologically significant as the ship is exceptionally well-preserved and hundreds of artefacts including the ship’s structure, wooden casks, leather shoes, clay pipes and food remains were uncovered.

The team, led by the Western Australian Museum, comprised 20 archaeologists, students and conservators from The University of Western Australia, The University of Notre Dame Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Mr. Day congratulated the WA Museum and the archaeological team on the excavation.

“A significant amount of information has been collected during the excavation which will be used to help tell the story of the Samuel Wright and Bunbury’s maritime history.” Mr. Day said.

Fact File

• In February 2016, as part of Department of Parks and Wildlife site investigations at Koombana Bay, a team of maritime archaeologists and conservators excavated a wooden shipwreck lying between 3.2 and 6 metres below ground level
• The Samuel Wright and other shipwrecks and associated materials that pre-date 1900 are automatically protected under the Maritime Archaeology Act 1973
• The WA Museum houses the State’s significant scientific and cultural collections and is an important centre for ongoing research