Kieran Hosty
Kieran started diving in Western Australia in 1976 and after a few years of mucking around on shipwrecks joined the Maritime Archaeological Association of Western Australia in order to try and make sense of what he saw on the seabed. His love of diving and history made him first pursue a graduate degree in history and anthropology from the Western Australian Institute of Technology followed a few years later by a post graduate diploma in maritime archaeology from Curtin University also in Western Australia.
After 18 months as an archaeological field volunteer he took up a position with the Maritime Archaeology Unit at the Victoria Archaeological Survey. He was Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Officer in Victoria for six years before coming to the Australian National Maritime Museum in 1994 to take up the position of Curator of Maritime Archaeology and Ship Technology. At the Museum he is responsible for the Museum’s maritime archaeology program as well as curating the Museum’s collection relating to convicts, 19th century migrants and ship technology. His expertise in convict related material was further enhanced, when he took up a temporary position as Curator / Manager of Hyde Park Barracks Museum for eighteen months in 2004 followed by a further 18 month contract at the Barracks where he put together an exhibition on the history and archaeology of convict hulks.
He has worked on many maritime archaeological projects both in Australia and overseas including the survey and excavation of the Sydney Cove (1797), HMS Pandora (1791) and HMCS Mermaid (1829) and the hunt for Cook’s Endeavour in the USA.
He is the author of the book Dunbar 1857: Disaster on our doorstep which has just been published by the Museum along with two children’s books on Australian convicts and 19th century migrants published by McMillan.
Phone: 02 9298 3710
Address: Australian National Maritime Museum
Wharf Seven Heritage Centre
58 Pirrama Road
Pyrmont
New South Wales
Australia 2009
After 18 months as an archaeological field volunteer he took up a position with the Maritime Archaeology Unit at the Victoria Archaeological Survey. He was Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Officer in Victoria for six years before coming to the Australian National Maritime Museum in 1994 to take up the position of Curator of Maritime Archaeology and Ship Technology. At the Museum he is responsible for the Museum’s maritime archaeology program as well as curating the Museum’s collection relating to convicts, 19th century migrants and ship technology. His expertise in convict related material was further enhanced, when he took up a temporary position as Curator / Manager of Hyde Park Barracks Museum for eighteen months in 2004 followed by a further 18 month contract at the Barracks where he put together an exhibition on the history and archaeology of convict hulks.
He has worked on many maritime archaeological projects both in Australia and overseas including the survey and excavation of the Sydney Cove (1797), HMS Pandora (1791) and HMCS Mermaid (1829) and the hunt for Cook’s Endeavour in the USA.
He is the author of the book Dunbar 1857: Disaster on our doorstep which has just been published by the Museum along with two children’s books on Australian convicts and 19th century migrants published by McMillan.
Phone: 02 9298 3710
Address: Australian National Maritime Museum
Wharf Seven Heritage Centre
58 Pirrama Road
Pyrmont
New South Wales
Australia 2009
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Books by Kieran Hosty
Responding to this demand the Scottish shipowner and merchant Duncan Dunbar ordered a series of vessels, including the 1321 registered ton 'Blackwall frigate' DUNBAR. Construction began in 1852 and the ship was launched in November 1853.
Although built for the Australia run the DUNBAR was first chartered as a troop ship carrying British troops to the Crimean War (1853-1856) and it was not until 1856 that it made its first voyage to Australia.
On the 31 May 1857 the DUNBAR departed Plymouth for its second voyage to Australia with at least 63 passengers and 59 crew on board. The substantial cargo included dyes for the colony's first postage stamps, machinary, furniture, trade tokens, cutlery, manufactured and fine goods, food and alcohol. Many of the passengers were prominent colonists returning to Australia from visiting the Home Country.
After a relatively fast passage of 81 days the vessel was approaching Sydney Head when poor weather and a navigational error resulted in the DUNBAR slamming into the sea cliffs a nautical mile to the south of the entrance to The Heads.
At least 121 passengers and crew drowned in the disaster and the shipwreck had a profound and lasting effect on the colony.
The book exams the disaster, its aftermath and the archaeological work carried out on the shipwreck and its cargo.
Papers by Kieran Hosty
In December 2019 the consortium hosted a meeting in Victor Harbor to discuss with the local community the best ways forward to investigate and protect this highly significant archaeological site.
In late 2013 divers visiting the wreck site of HMAS Perth (1942) in Indonesia reported to The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) that the warship, the grave of some 300 RAN and RAAF personnel, was being systematically salvage by commercial divers. The RAN subsequently approached the Department of the Environment (Canberra) and the Australian National Maritime Museum (Sydney) requesting their assistance in carrying out an archaeological survey of Perth. Bad weather, seasonal in-water currents, international politics, visa conditions and research permit requirements meant that it was not until December 2017 that the first Australian led remote sensing survey was carried out on Perth. A second in-water survey in May 2017 carried out by the Australian National Maritime Museum and its Indonesian research partner Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional revealed that Perth has been devastated by systematic, large scale and un-authorised salvage work and less than 40% of the once intact warship remained.
Responding to this demand the Scottish shipowner and merchant Duncan Dunbar ordered a series of vessels, including the 1321 registered ton 'Blackwall frigate' DUNBAR. Construction began in 1852 and the ship was launched in November 1853.
Although built for the Australia run the DUNBAR was first chartered as a troop ship carrying British troops to the Crimean War (1853-1856) and it was not until 1856 that it made its first voyage to Australia.
On the 31 May 1857 the DUNBAR departed Plymouth for its second voyage to Australia with at least 63 passengers and 59 crew on board. The substantial cargo included dyes for the colony's first postage stamps, machinary, furniture, trade tokens, cutlery, manufactured and fine goods, food and alcohol. Many of the passengers were prominent colonists returning to Australia from visiting the Home Country.
After a relatively fast passage of 81 days the vessel was approaching Sydney Head when poor weather and a navigational error resulted in the DUNBAR slamming into the sea cliffs a nautical mile to the south of the entrance to The Heads.
At least 121 passengers and crew drowned in the disaster and the shipwreck had a profound and lasting effect on the colony.
The book exams the disaster, its aftermath and the archaeological work carried out on the shipwreck and its cargo.
In December 2019 the consortium hosted a meeting in Victor Harbor to discuss with the local community the best ways forward to investigate and protect this highly significant archaeological site.
In late 2013 divers visiting the wreck site of HMAS Perth (1942) in Indonesia reported to The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) that the warship, the grave of some 300 RAN and RAAF personnel, was being systematically salvage by commercial divers. The RAN subsequently approached the Department of the Environment (Canberra) and the Australian National Maritime Museum (Sydney) requesting their assistance in carrying out an archaeological survey of Perth. Bad weather, seasonal in-water currents, international politics, visa conditions and research permit requirements meant that it was not until December 2017 that the first Australian led remote sensing survey was carried out on Perth. A second in-water survey in May 2017 carried out by the Australian National Maritime Museum and its Indonesian research partner Pusat Penelitian Arkeologi Nasional revealed that Perth has been devastated by systematic, large scale and un-authorised salvage work and less than 40% of the once intact warship remained.