Possible remains of a Spanish or Portuguese galleon found in Australian island swamp.
- From: Jack Linthicum <jacklinthicum@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 16:46:41 -0700
The possible wreck has created the usual enthusiasm amongst the
locals.
"It's quite possible something was seen but the big question is why
does it have to be Spanish or Portuguese or pre-date Cook?
"Every time someone comes up with what they think is evidence we can
confidently prove it's not Spanish or Portuguese.
"I'm sure (Jefferys) has found something; it's the interpretation that
is wishful thinking."
Redland Shire councillor Craig Ogilvie welcomed the possibility of the
wreck's discovery. "If someone can finally put the rumours to bed,
that is a good thing," he said.
But he warned weekend treasure hunters to stay away from the island.
"We don't need amateur archeologists traipsing through the swamp -
leave it to the professionals," he said.
Closing in on mystery
By Lucy Carne
June 17, 2007 12:00am
THE mystery of a galleon believed to be buried in a North Stradbroke
Island swamp could be solved within months.
For a century, rumours have circulated that the remains of a 16th or
17th-century Spanish or Portuguese vessel lie in the snake-infested 18
Mile Swamp at the southern end of the Moreton Bay island.
Tales persist of Aborigines finding gold coins and amateur explorers
stripping the ship of its anchor, fastenings and planks.
Brisbane archeologist Greg Jefferys has been searching for the wreck
for nearly 20 years and is confident he is closing in.
Last week he found three metal artefacts - a brass button, a sword
blade and a fishing weight - that point towards the presence of other
mariners on the Australian east coast well before Captain Cook make
his voyage of discovery in 1770.
Boosted by his latest findings, Jefferys has accepted an offer from
geophysics company UltraMag to do a free spectral analysis of the
swamp. The scan, which normally would cost about $20,000, should
detect the presence of any metals in the swap's vegetation.
"I really think there is a strong possibility of uncovering where it
is. I think I will find it this year," Mr Jefferys said.
He hopes the ship was carrying treasure.
"I've spoken to quite a few people over the years who have told me
they've seen gold Spanish coins circulating in the Stradbroke Island
community," he said.
"One guy, Frank Boyce, who lived there in the 1920s and '30s, was
taken to the wreck by Aborigines after he saved the life of an
Aboriginal woman who was drowning.
"He said they told him they had been taken the gold over the years to
pay for things in town."
Mr Jefferys said the artefacts he found recently also were strong
indicators of a Spanish presence on Stradbroke Island.
He said the rapier blade was of an unusual style, popular in 16th-
century Spain.
"The construction of the brass button also puts it within 100 years of
that period," he said.
"The lead weight I think was made by the wreck's survivors for fishing
nets because it's very crude."
Mr Jefferys said he found the artefacts about 900m inland, suggesting
the ship had gone aground hundreds of years ago and the island's sand
had built up around it.
Queensland Museum maritime heritage senior curator Peter Gesner said
the theory that the first European explorers of Australia were Spanish
or Portuguese was "all cloak and daggers".
"If they did, they never came back," he said. "But it's very unlikely
as this was not their stomping ground.
"It's quite possible something was seen but the big question is why
does it have to be Spanish or Portuguese or pre-date Cook?
"Every time someone comes up with what they think is evidence we can
confidently prove it's not Spanish or Portuguese.
"I'm sure (Jefferys) has found something; it's the interpretation that
is wishful thinking."
Redland Shire councillor Craig Ogilvie welcomed the possibility of the
wreck's discovery. "If someone can finally put the rumours to bed,
that is a good thing," he said.
But he warned weekend treasure hunters to stay away from the island.
"We don't need amateur archeologists traipsing through the swamp -
leave it to the professionals," he said.
.
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