Dutch frigate lost in 1857 storm found off South Australian coast
A team of Australian maritime archaeologists believe they have located the long-lost wreck of the Dutch frigate Koning Willem de Tweede (King Willem the Second), which sank in 1857 off the coast of South Australia during a violent storm. The ship, 42 meters long and launched in The Hague in 1840, was buried under layers of shifting sand in the bay near Robe for more than 160 years, NOS reports.
The vessel had just completed a voyage transporting Chinese miners from Hong Kong to the goldfields in Victoria when disaster struck. After safely unloading hundreds of passengers near the town of Robe, the Koning Willem de Tweede attempted to ride out a storm but was caught in violent winds. The ship suffered severe structural damage, and the captain made the decision to deliberately ground the vessel on a nearby sandbank to prevent it from sinking. The hull split in two during the maneuver, and 16 of the 25 crew members died when a lifeboat capsized while they tried to flee to safety.
Despite the wreck occurring near land, the exact location of the ship remained unknown for more than a century and a half. Researchers say that constantly shifting sand in the bay of Robe had almost entirely buried the wreck. “There is almost nothing needed to set the sand in motion, and then it just hangs in the water like an underwater sandstorm,” said lead researcher James Hunter in Australian media, describing the difficult conditions divers faced.
Efforts to locate the wreck began in 2022, when Hunter and his team started searching the seabed in the area where the ship was believed to have sunk. Although they found early clues, visibility was nearly nonexistent due to the disturbed sediment. “It’s exciting, because although we know a lot about 17th-century ships like the wreck of the Batavia, we know far less about ships from the 19th century,” Hunter told NOS.
The breakthrough came this year, when the team used metal detectors to narrow down the exact position. That’s when they encountered parts of the vessel. “I almost ran face-first into the anchor windlass,” said Hunter, referring to the mechanical device used to raise and lower the anchor. “We were working with metal detectors in low visibility and I couldn’t see where I was going.” The windlass was found standing upright in the sand, while the remainder of the ship remains mostly buried.
The researchers say the wreck’s location and length match historical records of the Koning Willem de Tweede, confirming its identity. They now plan to return for additional dives in the hope of exposing more of the ship and recovering artifacts.
The Koning Willem de Tweede was part of a broader effort in the mid-19th century to transport laborers to the Australian goldfields. In 1857, it had dropped off approximately 400 Chinese miners, who were forced to walk the remaining 400 kilometers to the mines after disembarking at Robe. This unusual route was chosen to avoid high landing taxes in the state of Victoria.
