Since the first Europeans visited the west coast of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in the 17th century, Rottnest Island has seen numerous shipwrecks. The long and wide island is surrounded by hidden and partly exposed reefs whilst being buffeted by north-westerly winter gales as well as very strong south-west summer sea "breezes". It is situated west of the port of

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...

meaning that much of the maritime traffic to Western Australia's major port passes close by. Following is a list of the twelve larger and surveyed

shipwreck A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...

s close by to Rottnest Island (). The list is in chronological order. Details on ''every'' shipwreck at the island are unknown as many thousands of vessels of varying size visit the island each year. Other ships have been lost (or in the case of the

Rottnest ship graveyard The Rottnest ship graveyard is a ship graveyard and dump site located off Rottnest Island, Western Australia. The graveyard is located southwest of Rottnest Island: older records identify it as a diameter area centred on , while a 1996 report pl ...

, deliberately scuttled) in waters further off-shore, including some closer to Fremantle. Still others were stranded on rocks at Rottnest but were refloated. ''Anitra II'', for example is in this latter category, but is included in the list as the hull was on display on the island near the main settlement. It was lost at night during the 1979 Parmelia Race only a few nautical miles from the finish line. Plaques have been located next to the wrecks as well as onshore to indicate their locations as part of a "wreck trail" concept produced by the Western Australian Museum in association with the Rottnest Island Authority. In encouraging full access to all the sites, by marking them on navigation charts and by producing interpretive materials in exhibitions, pamphlets and on the plaques, the wrecks have become part of a "museum-without-walls" concept. All of the wrecks are protected under Commonwealth legislation in the '' Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976'' and State legislation in the Maritime Archaeology Act (1973). The Rottnest Island Wreck Trail was the first in the Southern Hemisphere and the first of Western Australia's heritage trails. The concept has been widely copied since.

Lighthouses

The first stone lighthouse built in Western Australia was completed in 1849 and built in the centre of the island. The tower was replaced in 1896 with a new tower, the current Wadjemup Lighthouse. Following an inquiry after the ''City of York'' disaster in 1899, the Bathurst Lighthouse was built at Bathurst Point on the north-eastern end of the island.

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List

Notes

References

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External links

* *{{cite web , url=http://audit.deh.gov.au/nsd/public/Search.cfm , title=National Shipwreck database, work=Department of Environment and Water Resources , accessdate=2007-03-06
Rottnest Island Authority

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Shipwrecks of Western Australia Rottnest Island

Lighthouses

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List

See also

Notes

References

External links