Two Anchors Of Historic Ship
p. 111 · Read in the full issue
Found At Norfolk Island
TWO anchors, believed to be from HMS Sirius, the flagship of the first fleet which brought the first convict settlers to Australia, were discovered outside the reef at Kingston, Norfolk Island, early in October.
The anchors were in about 20 ft of water, about 400 yards from the shore. The Sirius was wrecked in this vicinity on March 19, 1790.
The discovery of the anchors was made by three Australian Broad casting Commission cameramen, Rex Clayton, Don McAlpine and Jack Doyle, and two Norfolk Islanders, Karl Davies and Rick Irvine.
They were guided in their search by Mr. William Quintal, a descendant of Bounty mutineer, Matthew Quintal, who remembered seeing one of the anchors while swimming in Slaughter Bay at the turn of the century.
The larger of the two anchors, about 15 ft long and heavily encrusted with barnacles, has one fluke embedded in rock. The other, slightly smaller, is about 50 yards away. Underneath it is what appears to be part of an ancient cannon.
Norfolk Island’s Administrator, Mr. Roger Nott, is looking into the possibility of raising the anchors, which he says could be of great historical value.
Footnote : An anchor of the Sirius, which was raised 60 years ago, now stands or a pedestal in Macquarie Place, Sydney.