The Society is seeking information about any evidence available today, no matter how big or small, of the survival of European shipwreck survivors who reached Western Australia’s coastline in the 17th and early 18th centuries. Any information about habitats, graves, artifacts and co-habitation with the indigenous population is of interest.

Four VOC (Vereenigde Oost Indische Compagnie or United (Dutch) East Indies Company) ships are known to have shipwrecked on the coast of Western Australia, North of Perth. Their wreck sites have been located. They are the Batavia (1629) on the Abrolhos, Vergulde Draeck (1656) near Ledge Point, Zuytdorp (1712) at the foot of the Zuytdorp Cliffs and Zeewijck (1727) also on the Abrolhos.

A total of at least 200 survivors are estimated to have arrived on the coast of Western Australia at the sites of the wrecking of the Vergulde Draeck and the Zuytdorp alone.

At least 3 other ships unaccounted for after leaving the Cape of Good Hope in the same time period could also have shipwrecked on Western Australia’s coast potentially yielding another 300 plus survivors. They were the Ridderschap van Holland, Aagterkerk and Fortuin. One or two of these may well have wrecked on the coast South of Perth.

It is known that the Commander of the Batavia marooned two of the mutineers on the west coast, near the mouth of the Murchison River, thereby becoming Australia's first European settlers. It is also known that the survivors of the Vergulde Draeck numbered 68 after a boat had been sent to Batavia to get help. The Zuytdorp had a complement of about 210 when it struck the cliffs just south of Shark Bay. An estimate of survivors is 100 or so. Most of the survivors of the Zeewijck were able to reach Batavia in the boat they built from the ship’s timbers, but 12, send in a boat to get help, were never seen again. They may have survived.

South of Perth, the “Deadwater Wreck” at Wonnerup is a mystery that has never been resolved, particularly its nationality.  There are some clues that it may have been a ship belonging to the VOC.  The ship that might qualify may be the Ridderschap van Holland, a huge ship which had more than 300 people on board. Many of those would have survived for a longish time in that part of our State.

In 1876 Mr. J. G. Bussell found two old coins near the wreck that might have given a clue as to the country of the ship's origin, but he refused to show them to anyone. Shortly afterwards about 70 lbs of quicksilver or mercury was found nearby which suggests that, whatever the ship's nationality, it must have been engaged in trade in the East Indies. Large quantities of mercury were used in the East Indies and it was a commodity much sought after.

By 1914 the wreck had disappeared, completely swallowed up by the Deadwater mud. There are many stories of dark deeds of murder and piracy concerning the wreck, which make for a fascinating mystery.

One such story, dating back to the 1830's, concerns the massacre of local Aborigines by the early settlers. No record of this has been found and there seems to be no reason for it as the Aborigines were not a warlike people. The story was that they had many golden ornaments, which they must have collected from the wreck, and it was for these that they were killed. Others said it was because they knew too much about the wreck.

Further east in the Porongerups and the Stirlings there are clues of Dutch survivors and this is quite possible for the other two ships that are missing are the Fortuin and Aagtekerk.  Did they run foul near Cape Leeuwin?

If you know of any stories or anecdotes or references in old pioneer or explorer’s journals, diaries and letters relating to the search for survivors, please let us know.  Or if you have, or know anyone who has, artifacts from that time we are interested.  The real history is with the local population and we are asking for your help.

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