A shipwreck found near the Australian coast in 168 after sinking killed 16 crew members
Researchers have discovered possible locations for Dutch ships that sank 150 years ago on the Australian coast.
The Australian National Maritime Museum said on social media that when the Koning William de Tweede sank in June 1857, it was an 800-ton ship sailing near Robert, South Australia. Hundreds of Chinese miners disembarked from the ship a few days before sinking.
According to the ABC, the ship was sailing with 25 crew members when it sank. ABC reported that 16 crew members died in the sinking.
Eric Van Straaten / National Maritime Museum of Australia
The museum began working with the Senterworld Foundation, which examines the maritime history of Australia, as well as the environment and water systems of Flinders University and South Australia. The museum said the Dutch Foreign Ministry and the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency also supported the research.
Dr. James Hunter of the Maritime Museum told ABC that researchers found part of the ship on the seabed in Guichen Bay. Hunter said the parts include the boat’s winch and iron parts.
Australia's National Maritime Museum 
The Silentworld Foundation said on social media that the search for the ship has been going on for about four years. Hunter told ABC that poor visibility has hindered work. Researchers believe they have identified the ship in 2022, but they did not confirm the ship's identity until March 2025.
“The latest visit to Robe has led to a possible identity to the shipwreck,” the Senterworld Foundation said on social media. “Visibility is challenging, but it's still enough for the team to make this incredible call!”
Australia's National Maritime Museum 
The Maritime Museum said on Facebook that future surveillance will be carried out on site in the future. The museum said the visits will evaluate the site and work to “discover more of this important marine history.”
Shipwrecks are scattered on the waters off the Australian coast, and some water has been found in recent months.
Last July, Australian scientists pointed out The last resting place In 1969, a huge cargo ship sank in the North Sea, killing 21 of the 26 crew members on board.
Three months before that, a small underwater drone was located A century-old ship In an area known as the “ship cemetery” on the coast of Australia. The discovery came just a few weeks after the expedition discovered a coal shipwreck Ship SS nemesis Near the Australian coast, it sank for more than a century.
