Abstract
A maritime archaeological survey and accompanying desktop assessment were undertaken on behalf of AGL in May and June 2025 to investigate the potential presence of three historic (protected) shipwreck sites listed in the South Australian Register of Historic Shipwrecks (SARHS): Lady Wellington (1838), Psyche (1865), and Stag (1883). These shipwrecks have yet to be found but their locations are mapped within the boundaries of AGL’s Torrens Island property. They are protected under the South Australia Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981 (the Act). An additional shipwreck, Croatia (1971), is listed on the SAHSR, but is not yet protected under the Act.
Two targeted areas north of the AGL power station (designated Area 1 and Area 2), as shown in Figure 1, were surveyed on 20 and 21 May 2025. No archaeological remains of the four shipwrecks were identified within these zones.
Area 1 is subject to regular tidal inundation and contains a variety of marine debris, including driftwood, coal fragments, and small ceramic pebbles. Area 2 consists of artificial land reclamation materials, such as construction rubble and asbestos waste, and is visibly marked by palm trees near adjacent mangroves. Two additional shipwreck sites were identified outside the AGL lease area, south of Torrens land and west of the creek directly north of the Garden Island Yacht Club. These will be documented and reported to DEW separately.
The desktop assessment has revealed that none of the four shipwrecks are located within the AGL’s property, as supported by the aforementioned visual inspection. Archival evidence confirms that Lady Wellington, Stag, and Croatia were not wrecked, nor abandoned on Torrens Island. The remains of Psyche are likely buried in seabed sediments near the Semaphore shoals. Accordingly, upon notification, DEW will likely amend the SARHS entries for these shipwrecks, moving the location of Psyche to the Semaphore area and making Lady Wellington and Stag inactive (removing them from the register).
Two targeted areas north of the AGL power station (designated Area 1 and Area 2), as shown in Figure 1, were surveyed on 20 and 21 May 2025. No archaeological remains of the four shipwrecks were identified within these zones.
Area 1 is subject to regular tidal inundation and contains a variety of marine debris, including driftwood, coal fragments, and small ceramic pebbles. Area 2 consists of artificial land reclamation materials, such as construction rubble and asbestos waste, and is visibly marked by palm trees near adjacent mangroves. Two additional shipwreck sites were identified outside the AGL lease area, south of Torrens land and west of the creek directly north of the Garden Island Yacht Club. These will be documented and reported to DEW separately.
The desktop assessment has revealed that none of the four shipwrecks are located within the AGL’s property, as supported by the aforementioned visual inspection. Archival evidence confirms that Lady Wellington, Stag, and Croatia were not wrecked, nor abandoned on Torrens Island. The remains of Psyche are likely buried in seabed sediments near the Semaphore shoals. Accordingly, upon notification, DEW will likely amend the SARHS entries for these shipwrecks, moving the location of Psyche to the Semaphore area and making Lady Wellington and Stag inactive (removing them from the register).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Place of Publication | Adelaide |
| Publisher | Flinders University |
| Commissioning body | Integrated Heritage Services |
| Number of pages | 60 |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Jun 2025 |
Keywords
- Torrens Island
- shipwrecks
- Lady Wellington
- Stag
- Psyche
- Croatia
- South Australia