'Cover-up' deepens Mahogany Ship mystery
Warrnambool coast (Australia):
It's mystery that will not go away. Was a Chinese or Portuguese boat shipwrecked on the Warrnambool coast before British settlement in 1788 and, if so, where are its remains? The latest "Mahogany Ship" theory is that the British came across the wreck of a Portuguese ship after Australia was settled, and then dismantled the wreck to prevent an Australian land claim by the king of Portugal. Amateur historian and Canberra mathematician Frank Coningham stumbled across a document in the National Library in Canberra indicating the British government had paid men to bury the ship. The parliamentary papers, dating from 1849, could no longer be found in the National Library, Dr Coningham said. Anyone wanting to look at them might have to travel to Britain. He found the document in the 1980s while researching
a book on Australian independence from Britain. Not many people knew of his discovery, although the news had spread over the years. He said the document, British Parliamentary Papers — Colony of Australia, was published by the Irish Free Press about 1849. Dr Coningham said the chairman of the Mahogany Ship Committee, Pat Connelly, had found out about his
research through word of mouth. Archaeological digs along the Warrnambool coast are
planned.
Sept 20, 2005
Stephen Cauchi, The Age, Australia
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/coverup-deepens-mahogany-ship-ystery/2005/09/19/1126982001982.html
Warrnambool coast (Australia):
It's mystery that will not go away. Was a Chinese or Portuguese boat shipwrecked on the Warrnambool coast before British settlement in 1788 and, if so, where are its remains? The latest "Mahogany Ship" theory is that the British came across the wreck of a Portuguese ship after Australia was settled, and then dismantled the wreck to prevent an Australian land claim by the king of Portugal. Amateur historian and Canberra mathematician Frank Coningham stumbled across a document in the National Library in Canberra indicating the British government had paid men to bury the ship. The parliamentary papers, dating from 1849, could no longer be found in the National Library, Dr Coningham said. Anyone wanting to look at them might have to travel to Britain. He found the document in the 1980s while researching
a book on Australian independence from Britain. Not many people knew of his discovery, although the news had spread over the years. He said the document, British Parliamentary Papers — Colony of Australia, was published by the Irish Free Press about 1849. Dr Coningham said the chairman of the Mahogany Ship Committee, Pat Connelly, had found out about his
research through word of mouth. Archaeological digs along the Warrnambool coast are
planned.
Sept 20, 2005
Stephen Cauchi, The Age, Australia
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/coverup-deepens-mahogany-ship-ystery/2005/09/19/1126982001982.html
