shipwrecks

Lizard Island to Cape Sidmouth, 1969. Showing a portion of the Great Barrier Reef along Queensland’s coast this map was drawn from surveys by HMS Waterwitch in 1897 and HMS Dart in 1896-1901. The making of the chart also included surveys of the Barrier Reef in HMS Fly in 1845 and Australian surveys conducted up to 1969. The marks in purple were added in 1971 after it was published. With numerous reefs and shoals and changing depths, this map shows the navigational challenge of making it through the Great Barrier Reef. Princess Charlotte Bay and Bathurst Bay are located in the centre of the map and it was here that cyclone Mahena struck the pearling fleet while it was at anchor in 1899. On the tip of Cape Melville the map marks the stone memorial to commemorate those lost in the 1899 disaster who were lost at sea. Collection of the Queensland Maritime Museum

Adolphus Channel with Albany Pass, 1937. This British Admiralty nautical chart of the north Queensland coast was completed by Captain W.J.L. Wharton on the surveying ship ‘Paluma’ in 1890. North of Albany Island this map marks both Quetta Rocks and the site of the Quetta wreck. Additions were made to the original 1890 map up until this published version in 1937. Following the wreck of the Quetta, one of these additions to the original chart was to mark a safe passage through the precarious Adolphus Channel. Between Albany Island and the Brother Islands, a line following 123 degrees can be observed that passes from the North Brother island with a high point of 40ft through the channel past Quetta Rocks. With these lines for navigation and additions such as the inset side view on the chart showing the entrance to Albany Island, navigational charts helped mariners survive difficult sea voyages. Collection of the Queensland Maritime Museum