Education and Research

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Heritage Branch Publications and Trails

Raising community awareness of the State's shipwreck heritage is an important part of the Heritage Branch's maritime program. Activities to achieve this include the establishment of maritime heritage trails in coastal regions and along the River Murray; publications including booklets, brochures and internet material; and the development of museum displays and school programs.

Of the 9 maritime heritage trails and numerous publications produced by the Heritage Branch, the following are particularly relevant to South Australia's ships' graveyards:

Jervois Basin Maritime Heritage Trail

Graveyard specific:

• Jervois Basin Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail
• Garden Island Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail
• Garden Island Ships' Graveyard
• Port Adelaide Ships' Graveyards (1.5Mb PDF)

Other:

• River Boat Trail
• Investigator Strait Maritime Heritage Trail

Other Publications

Heritage Information Leaflet 1:12 lists many publications which cater to a broad general interest in the State's maritime history. Local history publications are also a good starting point for information about a region's maritime history.

Publications specifically relevant to South Australia's ships' graveyards include:

Published:

• Parsons, R. & Plunkett, G.1995, Scuttled and Abandoned Ships in Australian Waters, Adelaide, the author.

Theses:

• Matthews, S. 1998, 'The North Arm Ships' Graveyard, Port Adelaide, South Australia: Some Historical Perspectives of the Ships and Associated Maritime Activity and an Examination of the Artefact Assemblage', Draft Honours Thesis, Archaeology, Flinders University of South Australia.
• Richards, N.T. 1997, 'The History and Archaeology of the Garden Island Ships' Graveyard, North Arm of the Port River, Port Adelaide, South Australia', Honours Thesis, Archaeology, Flinders University of South Australia.

Research

The gathering of accurate historical information involves a detailed search of primary source material held by various Government and private agencies or individuals. Information which has contributed to current SA ships' graveyard data was located in the following resources:

Government:

• State Library of South Australia - South Australiana Database
• State Library of South Australia - Ships and Maritime History
• State Library of South Australia - Photographic Collections
• State Library of South Australia - Newspapers
• State Records SA - in particular the Department of Marine & Harbors Records held as Government Record Group 51.
• SARDI Aquatic Sciences Library
• South Australian Maritime Museum photographic collection

Community:

• Records held by local council offices
• Records and photographs held by local libraries
• Records and photographs held by local historical societies
• Country and local metropolitan newspaper archives
• Oral histories and private collections - members of the local community or ex-maritime industry workers are often invaluable sources of information through private records, photographs, newspaper clippings, official documents, oral histories and personal memorabilia.

Courses

• AIMA/NAS maritime archaeology training courses aim to advance education in maritime archaeology at all levels. The 4-part courses introduce methods and procedures employed in underwater archaeology, as well as generate awareness of shipwreck preservation and are open to recreational and professional divers and also non-divers.
• Flinders University offers Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters courses in maritime archaeology.