Vergulde Draeck - 20th Century

20th Century

The wreck, the first of the Dutch and English East India ships found on the Western Australian coast, was discovered by five spear-fishermen (John Cowen; Jim, Alan and Graeme Henderson; and Alan Robinson ) on April 13, 1963 . After a period in which both it and the Batavia (which was found later in the same year) were heavily looted, shipwreck legislation was enacted, vesting the sites in the Western Australian Museum. Subsequently the remains were excavated by maritime archaeologist Jeremy Green and a report was published. Materials from the wreck are on exhibition at the Museum's Shipwreck Galleries in Fremantle.