Possible 1656 Dutch East India Company shipwreck survivor camp found in Australia
Australian archaeologists may have identified a temporary camp used by survivors of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship Vergulde Draeck, which sank off the coast of Western Australia in 1656, NOS reported. The 41-meter ship ran aground on a reef north of Perth after a navigational error. Of the 193 crew and passengers on board, roughly 75 survived, but their fate remained largely unknown for centuries.
The discovery began when a passerby found a navigational compass, copper fastenings, and a fishing sinker along the coast. These items matched artifacts previously recovered from the Vergulde Draeck wreck. Subsequent excavations at the site have uncovered additional objects, supporting the theory that the area served as a temporary camp for the stranded crew.
The site has been granted protected status by the state of Western Australia to prevent unauthorized searches. Alec Coles, director of the Western Australian Museum, called the finding “particularly important” for maritime history. “This kind of site can tell us a great deal about the people who survived early shipwrecks,” he told NOS.
The Vergulde Draeck had departed from Texel, Netherlands, bound for Batavia (now Jakarta). On April 28, 1656, the ship struck reefs along the Western Australian coast and sank. Survivors reached an inhospitable shoreline rarely visited by Europeans. They reportedly launched a small boat with seven crew members to seek help in Batavia. Rescue attempts over the next three years failed to find survivors, and another eleven crew members disappeared when a lifeboat did not return.
The wreck itself was located in 1963, three kilometers off Ledge Point, but the fate of the survivors remained unclear. That changed last year when an anonymous enthusiast discovered pottery shards, a navigational compass, a bronze clasp, and a fishing sinker while exploring the coast. Initially mistaking the sinker for a modern item, the finder recognized its significance after a neighbor noted its similarity to museum exhibits.
Further investigations at the site this year have uncovered additional artifacts, including a fully intact pipe. Western Australia’s heritage minister, Simone McGurk, said, “This is a significant archaeological discovery that can tell us more about Dutch exploration and survival on the Western Australian coast in the 17th century. Protecting this site ensures an irreplaceable part of our shared history is preserved for future generations.”
