Cervantes Shipwreck

Statement of Significance

Cervantes, Shipwreck has cultural heritage significance for the following reasons:
* It is representative of 19th century whaling activity on the Western Australian coastline generally and of the American whaling industry in particular.
* The town of Cervantes takes its name from Cervantes, Shipwreck: the area having been named by Joshua William Gregory in 1847.

Although the Cervantes was only minimally damaged, the wreck’s distance from established settlements at Perth and Fremantle prohibited its feasible repair and refloating. In addition, members of the crew had to walk for several days to reach help in Fremantle and it is thought that one crew member did not survive the journey. This demonstrates the extent hardship and isolation in the region only 15 years after the settlement of the Swan River Colony.

*Pinctada maxima pearl shell found in the wreck in 1988 may be early evidence of pearl shell being collected for sale at a profit.

* The material remains of the Cervantes may provide information regarding the construction of 19th century whaling vessels and the activities of the whaling vessels and their crews.
ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
IMPORTANCE TO THE COURSE, OR PATTERN OF OUR CULTURAL OR NATURAL HISTORY
Cervantes, Shipwreck is representative of 19th century whaling off the Western Australia coastline. In particular it is representative of the dominant presence of American whaling ships.

Although the Cervantes was only minimally damaged, the wreck’s distance from established settlements at Perth and Fremantle prohibited its feasible repair and refloating. In addition, members of the crew had to walk for several days to reach help in Fremantle and it is thought that one crew member did not survive the journey. At the time of the wreck, the population of Perth was less than 5000 with limited skilled tradesmen available to travel the distance to make the required repairs. This demonstrates the hardship and isolation of living, only 15 years after the settlement of the Swan River Colony.

Pearl shell found in the wreck in 1988 from Pinctada maxima may be early evidence of pearl shell being collected for sale at a profit. The wrecking of the Cervantes predates the West Australian pearling industry.

POSSESSION OF UNCOMMON, RARE OR ENDANGERED ASPECTS OF OUR CULTURAL OR NATURAL HISTORY
Cervantes, Shipwreck is representative of 19th century whaling off the Western Australia coastline. In particular it is representative of the dominant presence of American whaling ships.

POTENTIAL TO YIELD INFORMATION THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR CULTURAL OR NATURAL HISTORY
The material remains of the Cervantes may provide information regarding the construction of 19th century whaling vessels and the activities of the whaling vessels and their crews.

The identification of timbers used (Maple) and copper fastenings adds to the database of whaling construction.

IMPORTANT IN DEMONSTRATING THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A CLASS OF CULTURAL OR NATURAL PLACES OR ENVIRONMENTS
Cervantes, Shipwreck is representative of 19th century whaling off the Western Australia coastline. In particular it is representative of the dominant presence of American whaling ships.

STRONG OR SPECIAL ASSOCIATION WITH A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY OR CULTURAL GROUP FOR SOCIAL, CULTURAL OR SPIRITUAL REASONS. THIS INCLUDES SIGNIFICANCE OF A PLACE TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AS PART OF THEIR CONTINUING AND DEVELOPMENT CULTURAL TRADITIONS.
The area south of Jurien Bay was named Cervantes by Joshua William Gregory in 1847 after the wrecked ship and the town established there in the mid-20th century took on the name. At the time of the establishment of the town, the origin of the name was mistakenly thought to be in honour of Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes and street names within the town follow a Spanish theme.

The town continues to celebrate the actual and mistaken name sources through public art in and around the town.

IMPORTANCE IN EXHIBITING PARTICULAR AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS

SPECIAL ASSOCIATION WITH THE LIFE OR WORKS OF A PERSON, OR GROUP OF PERSONS, OF IMPORTANCE IN OUR HISTORY.
Cervantes, Shipwreck is associated with the 19th century whaling industry, and most particularly American whalers.

IMPORTANCE IN DEMONSTRATING A HIGH DEGREE OF CREATIVE OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT AT A PARTICULAR PERIOD.

Physical Description

The Cervantes was built in Bath, Maine (USA) in 1836. It was described as a brig with one deck, two masts, a billet head and square stern, 91’ 9” (28m) long, 24’ 5.5” (7.5)m breadth, 11’ 8” (3.5m) depth and 231 tons.
The shipwreck site is approximately 198 kilometres north of Perth. The shipwreck is located in shallow water (approximately 3m) on the sand sea floor on the eastern side of Cervantes Island. The timber was identified by the WA Museum as Maple (Acer species) which is well known for shipbuilding.
The shipwreck is not visible from land but may sometimes be visible via aerial photography dependant on the movement of sand on the seabed.
The Cervantes is celebrated around the town as the source of the town’s name.
A sculpture at the entry to the town celebrates the shipwreck and Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ most well known characters, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Note that no evidence has been discovered that confirms that the Cervantes was named after Miguel de Cervantes.
Signboards which collectively show an image of a ship are located on the Indian Ocean Drive northern and southern entries to the town.
The Cervantes Historical Society recently opened its Cervantes project for 2021: a concrete outline of the Cervantes with posts representing the ship’s 3 masts.

History

Assessment 2021
Construction (Of Cervantes): 1836
Alterations/additions 1841, 1843Whaling was a global industry in the 19th century, fuelled by high demand for whale oil and bone. The industry was dominated by Americans with whalers operating out of ports along the New England coast which followed migrating whales into the southern oceans. The waters off Western Australia proved bountiful.

The Cervantes was built in Bath, Maine (USA) in 1836 for Richard McManus and Fredric G Thurston. It was described as a brig with one deck, two masts, a billet head and square stern, 91’ 9” (28m) long, 24’ 5.5” (7.5)m breadth, 11’ 8” (3.5m) depth and 231 tons. Five years later the ship was sold to a group of owners (Benjamin Brown, Jonathan Coit, John W Brown, Amos Willets and Samuel Willets) who converted and fitted it out for whaling. The Cervantes sailed in 1841 under Capt Benjamin Brown (probably one of the owners) returning in 1843 with 300 casks of sperm oil, 700 casks of whale oil and 5000 pounds of whale bone.

The Cervantes was again refitted and under new Captain Sylvanus Gibson, arrived off the coast of New Holland (Western Australia) in 1844.

The loss of the Cervantes was reported in numerous publications around the country. In February 1845, the Colonial Times (Hobart) reported that ‘on 28th June, the Cervantes was about sixteen miles from land, when the weather became tempestuous. At daylight, being abreast of Jurien’s Bay, the captain made for it, and anchored inside, where he remained until the next day, when the breeze moderated a little. He then weighted anchor and was getting out of the pass, when the wind shifted and the ship struck on the rocks, where she soon became so engaged as to render of no avail any exertion to keep her up’. Other accounts report that the Cervantes was anchored in Jurien Bay for the purpose of fishing.

The Captain and his crew began the trek south to Fremantle, leaving one exhausted man north of the Moore River. Six men returned to the wreck intending to make their way south by boat. Three men arrived in Fremantle on 8 July with the Captain and more men arriving the next day. Little is known of the fate of the crew although the Colonial Times of 18 February 1845 reports that ‘one man perished from fatigue and hunger; he remained half way and his body was afterwards found eaten by the wild dogs’.

The ship was not significantly damaged but its location 100 miles north of Fremantle meant that repair would be difficult and so it was advertised for sale by auction. The Inquirer of 10 July 1844 advertised that ‘the wreck of the American barque Cervantes, coppered and copper-fastened, as she now lies in Jurien Bay, on a sand flat, about 90 miles to the Northward; with all her stores, whaling gear, cutting-in falls, whale boats, anchors, chain cables, a kedge anchor, spare plank, oars, and casks. She was fitted out about a year ago with every thing new for a voyage, and the gear is of the best description and quality, and has not as yet been used’.

The Cervantes was sold at auction within weeks of wrecking ‘as she stood, with all her provisions, stores etc, excepting only the clothing, bedding and instruments of the officers and men’. It was purchased for £155 by a Mr Wicksteed who was considering the establishment of a whaling station nearby. The ship’s chronometer was sold separately for £28.

In August 1844 it was reported that the new owners had ‘recovered cables, anchors, provisions and a boat, and are again about to proceed to the wreck to complete the work they have commenced of landing all the stores etc. It is supposed the purchaser will more than treble the amount of the sum paid at the auction’.


The area to the south of Jurien Bay was named Cervantes in 1847 by Joshua William Gregory. Gregory was exploring the WA coastline in the schooner Thetis.

On Christmas Eve 1969, fourteen year old Laurie Walsh discovered a shipwreck off the coast of Cervantes. He and his father Don, reported the discovery to the WA Museum. In February 1970, the WA Museum inspected the site and determined that it was the remains of the Cervantes.

The Cervantes was vested in the WA Museum as a protected historic shipwreck site under the Museum Act 1969. It is now protected under the Commonwealths’ Historic Shipwreck Act 1976.

The Maritime Archaeology Department of the WA Museum made further investigations of the site in 1988. These investigations discovered golden or silver-lipped pearl shell (Pinctada maxima) which is native to Western Australia but rarely seen further south than Port Hedland. McAllister notes that these are the oldest identifiable examples of these pearl shells and may suggest that the crew of the Cervantes had collected the shells ‘as trinkets’ or to sell for profit.

The WA Museum again investigated the site in 2012 and prepared the Site Inspection Report and Management Plan – Cervantes (1836-1844) Jurien Bay Area, Western Australia (Report No 121, 2013) (Madeline McAllister).

The report includes the following statement of significance of the site:

Historical
Cervantes represents a pelagic whaler from the height of whaling in the 19th century, in particular the presence of American whalers along the Western Australian coastline. Furthermore, the account of Cervantes wrecking was repeated in numerous newspapers and the long walk survivors undertook to reach help represents a true struggle.

Cultural
The small town of Cervantes in the Midwest of Western Australia was named after the shipwreck, although not purposefully. Cervantes was mistaken to be linked to the Spanish author Miguel Cervantes. Hence, the streets are named in a Spanish theme. Despite this, locals are well aware of the shipwreck and proud of their maritime heritage. The shipwreck is significant in terms of close cultural links.

Scientific
The shipwreck is significant in terms of the oldest known examples of pearl shells possibly carried as cargo. As the shipwreck pre-dates any pearling industry in Western Australia, this could be seen as the first interest in profiting from pearl shells. Timber identification and analysis of copper fastenings will add to a database of whaling construction.

Archaeological
Material remains of the shipwreck (20m section of one whole side including the keel) will provide valuable archaeological information on the shipwreck itself and the condition of the site overall.

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Last Update

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.