It seems impossible that Christmas is only a few weeks away!  What a year we have had with Covid restrictions making life difficult for all. In the last newsletter, I mentioned that we had been extremely busy this year and at last, we can share some of this exciting news! Amazin’ Book Launch The weather was kind to us during our book launch on the Surf Beach near our Amazon Shipwreck last Friday.  We were thrilled with the attendance of five wonderful children, who were in period costume with manners and behaviour befitting the era; just perfect.  Thank you to Grayson, Grace, Milly, Celena and Elise for making the event such a great success.  Last week was the culmination of the year’s work with two of our goals being reached.  Our Committee was formed in October last year and  incorporated in November 2019 so to say we are thrilled with these achievements is an understatement.  Marion Chapman has been a major contributor, illustrating our book, ‘Inverloch’s Riddle of the Amazon’ which was written by our Secretary Karyn Bugeja and from which we hope will raise much needed funds for further conservation of the Amazon Shipwreck.  The book is available from Inverloch...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Launch of our Children's Book "Inverloch’s Riddle of the Amazon: When is a Bark not a Bark?" was held on Friday 4th Dec at the Amazon shipwreck site. Information: Call 0423 682 580 or Email Secretary@Amazon1863.org.au   Where to purchase From Friday 4th December...

By Doug Ford, Friends of the Jersey Maritime Museum.Download their full October 2020 Newsletter Wreck of the AMAZON exposed on 5 July 2020 (image courtesy of V Maddock) In our last newsletter I mentioned the 33-ton Jersey-built barque AMAZON which ran aground on the coast of Victoria, Australia during a severe gale on the morning of Tuesday, 15 December 1863. With no hope of being able to claw his way back to the open sea to save his vessel, Captain Ogier ran her straight onto the shore and then had his crew cut away the fore and mizzen masts to prevent her breaking up. By 3:00pm all the crew were safely ashore and the AMAZON lay abandoned on the shore about eight miles east of Cape Paterson. For the next 150 years or so she lay hidden beneath the sands, occasionally and tantalisingly poking a wooden rib or two through the sand. She even gave her name to the area of the beach - "Wreck Creek"; and then during the Autumn storms in March and April 2015 more of the wreck surfaced including rare and delicate organic artefacts such as a deadeye with a knot still tied at one end. The handrail with dead-eyes...

In November this year, we expect the result of our 'Living Heritage' application to be known. Background: Earlier this year, we applied for a 'Living Heritage Competitive Community Grant'. Only places or objects listed on the 'Victorian Heritage Register' could apply. The project / grant aim is to extend the life of the Amazon shipwreck by conserving significant wooden artefacts from the vessel. Conservation of such wooden artefacts can take between 5 to 8 years to complete. If you think of the process at a cellular level, the salts have to be leached out of the wood and gradually replaced with preservation materials without allowing destruction of cell walls and collapse of the structure.  A very slow and exacting process. DELWP (Vic Gov) will notify successful applicants potentially in November. We are committed to having a museum in Inverloch to showcase an Amazon exhibition & have a dedicated home for these artefacts. The Living Heritage Grant Program is extremely important to the us and, if successful, it will allow us to begin the very important conservation process of these wooden artefacts from the Amazon shipwreck. Below are images of the 5 Amazon artefacts used in the application.. Single pulley: Double pulley: Dead eye: Trail board which ran either side of the figurehead...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Under the Victorian Heritage Act 2017 and the Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976, all shipwrecks are protected. Shipwrecks must not be interfered with. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Historic shipwrecks are fragile structures that often have weakened and vulnerable hull remains due to their long submersion. There are sometimes loose artefacts on the beach surface or near historic shipwrecks that can also be easily damaged or destroyed. Disturbing the site drastically reduces the amount of information that archaeologists can learn about this significant shipwreck. It is therefore important that the local community ensure that this important site remains undisturbed. No excavation, removing any items and/or disturbing the site. Signs have been erected on Inverloch Beach near the Amazon remains. If you are visiting, please remember:   Digging in the area is NOT allowed. Standing on the wreck or it’s artefacts or removal of any part of the wreck is also NOT allowed. You can assist us in the protection of Amazon by joining us.   [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_single_image image="228" img_size="full"][/vc_column][/vc_row]...

This appears to be the port side of the bow section which was visible for one tide only on 23/6/20 and then again 11/9/2020. (Photos from 11/9/2020) ...

We wish to extend a warm welcome to all our new Members and thank you for your support. Covid-19 may be playing havoc with society but let me assure you that the Amazon 1863 Project Inc. Committee is still working very hard behind the scenes. The Committee has some major ‘thank you’ messages in this edition. Peter Harvey, Senior Maritime Archaeologist at Heritage Victoria who retired recently, we would like to wish him well and thank him for his guidance, encouragement and support over the last year. As a token of our appreciation Peter has become the Amazon 1863 Project Inc. first Life Member and will continue to take a keen interest in all things Amazon. Printer donated We sincerely thank the Inverloch Bendigo Bank for the kind donation of a printer to assist with our work. Trilby Parise with Penelope Lyttle & Dianne Clark Amazon Shipwreck site As many of you would be aware, the Committee has been monitoring the Amazon Shipwreck site, often with bollards and bunting over busy periods. We would like to acknowledge those kind volunteers who have assisted in this process and others who have helped to set up or pack up making the Committee’s job much more tolerable! The Committee has...

Visible for only one low tide and then covered with sand again. (Photos taken 23 June 2020) ...

Firstly, a very big WELCOME to everyone and thank you for your patience waiting for this first Newsletter! The last 5 to 6 months have been very busy applying for Incorporation Certification, Not for Profit status and working on a co-operative approach with Parks Victoria, Heritage Victoria and the Bass Coast Shire. We have also had the rapid erosion issues on our coastline biting at our heels. We have made several Grant applications and have another underway at the present time for a conservation project. There was very disappointing footage this month, which gave viewers the impression that people were digging at the Amazon ship wreck site. The only people who will ever do any digging at the Amazon site will be Heritage Victoria Maritime Archaeologists. The site is protected under Heritage Legislation and it is an offence to disturb the site, damage or remove any objects. In fact it is probably best not to dig anywhere on the Surf Beach with a metal shovel! Heritage Victoria has a difficult job, a balancing act managing such sites. In our case, we want to share, inform and educate people about the Amazon but not encourage pilfering or vandalism. Hopefully the little children’s book to be...

The 'Gladiator' barque was built in 1866 by Frederick Charles Clark,. FC Clark built 'Amazon' eleven years earlier. We can use this image as a good likeness to what our 'Amazon' would have looked like in her hay day. Image source & some further information: TheIslandWiki.org ...