Mahogany Ship Mystery Deepens

Warrnambool (Australia):
The Mahogany Ship mystery deepened over the weekend as more theories about its origins were aired at the third symposium on the fabled wreck.Even the number of Mahogany Ships has become cause for conjecture.Speakers at the Warrnambool Entertainment Centre claimed there could be two, three or even six unexplained vessels hidden beneath the area's sands.A mysterious coin found near Levys Point in the mid-1990s created a buzz of speculation between speeches.Mahogany Ship Committee chairman Pat Connelly said the event was a tremendous success, with more than 200 people listening to theories, research and anecdotes from 13 speakers."We're really happy.
There were more people than we thought would come," he said.He said theories like that presented by researcher Dr Murray Johns Ð that the Mahogany Ship was sailed by convicts escaping Tasmania - made the symposium even more interesting than anticipated.Mr Connelly said most symposium-goers came from Melbourne and interstate, proving the Mahogany Ship legend was important across Australia.
"It's been 20 years since the last symposium so this is the first time for 20 years that Mahogany Ship enthusiasts have had a chance to discuss this in an open forum," he said, adding that another could be held in the next five years.Warrnambool Mayor Glenys Phillpot said it was a fantastic event for Warrnambool."Almost everybody I spoke to had this sense of excitement," Cr Phillpot said.
Sept 26, 2005
Matt Neal, Warrnambool Standard, Australia