Museum Metadata Exchange

Names

Name PrimaryBarque Eglinton 1852

IDs

ID LocalWAM 33

ID UriOffline Only

Descriptions

Brief DescriptionThis collection contains artefacts from the the 462-ton barque Eglinton which was wrecked in 1852. The site was discovered in 1971 and a large collection of artefacts was recovered representing a broad range of general merchandise, principally British manufactures, goods obtained from British colonies and a few consumables from elsewhere.

Full DescriptionThe 462-ton barque Eglinton was wrecked off the coast of Wanneroo, about 50 km north of Perth, on 3 September 1852. The Swan River Colony was just beginning to emerge from the struggle accompanying the first settlement in 1829, and the Eglinton, with its consignment of specie for the convict establishment and valuable general cargo for merchants in the colony, was keenly anticipated. Accounts of the wrecking are preserved in a variety of letters from passengers to their relatives; in the personal journals of officials sent to assist with the rescue of passengers and crew, and the ship's cargo; in official documents; and, in local newspapers. Public opinion demanded a strict investigation into the circumstances of the loss. Colonists were anxious about the losses incurred by local merchants, further damage to the already bad reputation of the port of Fremantle, and the effect this would have on companies insuring cargoes and vessels bound for Swan River. Contemporary salvage recovered the gold specie and much of the cargo, albeit variously damaged by immersion. The site was discovered in 1971, and was one of the first shipwrecks surveyed and excavated by the Western Australian Museum. A large collection of artefacts was recovered representing a broad range of general merchandise, principally British manufactures, goods obtained from British colonies and a few consumables from elsewhere.

Subjects

scotArtefacts; Marine archaeology; Maritime history; Money; Ships; Shipwrecks; Water transport

aptBarques; Coins; Shipwreck artefacts; Shipwrecks; Vessels (watercraft)

pontCoins; Correspondence; Journals; Money; Ships; Watercraft

localHistoric; Maritime archaeology; Shipwreck; Wreck

Coverage Spatial

TextWanneroo; Perth, Western Australia; Swan River Colony

Coverage Temporal

From1852

To1852

Related Collections

Dates

Date Record Updated2012-05-30 23:42

Date Created in MME2011-03-31 00:17