Scientists making collections at Undine Reef during the 1928-29 British Expedition to Low Isles. Collection of the National Library of Australia

Collection of the National Library of Australia

J.A. Stephenson with photographic equipment used to record corals during the 1928-29 British Expedition, Low Isles. Collection of the National Library of Australia

Collection of the National Library of Australia

Charles Yonge with 'Black Box', an underwater viewing observatory, Low Isles, 1928. Collection of the National Library of Australia

Collection of the National Library of Australia

Diving helmet in use during the British Expedition to Low Isles, 1928. Collection of the National Library of Australia

Cool logical explanations dissolved many curiosities about the natural world in the late twentieth century, but the Reef is something of an enduring mystery. The underwater world remains elusive to everyday human experiences. The earliest naturalists depended on simultaneous good fortunes in tides, weather and wind to glimpse living corals and fishes beneath the surface. This view was often unattainable. The liveliness of the coral reefs could not be contained, and many squirming creatures brought to the surface died in the name of scientific curiosity.

The desire to gain greater access to the underwater spurred scientific invention. Scientists improvised equipment and trialled new technologies in an effort to better access and observe living marine life. Simple equipment like the water telescope and black box evolved into glass-bottomed boats and underwater observatories. The most daring individuals experimented with eye goggles, diving helmets and scuba equipment. Photographers explored the possibilities of underwater cameras and colour emulsion. In this way the history of new technologies parallels the history of Great Barrier Reef science.  

Collection of the National Library of Australia

View of the 1928-29 Expedition's quarters from the lighthouse balcony, Low Isles, 1928. Collection of the National Library of Australia

Collection of the National Library of Australia

Scientific expedition members, Low Isles, 1928-29. Note the absence of Aboriginal assistants in this photograph. Collection of the National Library of Australia

Collection of the National Library of Australia

Mattie and Maurice Yonge, Low Isles, 1928. Collection of the National Library of Australia

Collection of the National Library of Australia

In January 1938 William Coombs (1892-1948) and his family embarked on a trip beginning in Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales to Hayman Island.

The cosmic scale, verdant islands, blue lagoons and brilliantly coloured underwater life of the Great Barrier Reef have attracted and intrigued visitors from the very earliest European navigators t

On the voyage of the Endeavour in 1770 the term ‘Labyrinth’ was used to describe the innumerable coral cays, reefs and shoals that challenged the navigational skills of Captain James Cook

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