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Shipwrecks and Maritime Trade

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An Archaeology of Australia Since 1788

Part of the book series: Contributions To Global Historical Archaeology ((CGHA))

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Abstract

Despite its preoccupation with the bush and outback, Australia has always been a maritime country, reliant on the sea for survival. From the first Aboriginal occupants to the most recent arrivals, all migrants have crossed the sea to get here. The bulk of colonial settlement took place within a narrow coastal fringe only a few hundred kilometres wide, a trend which accelerated through the twentieth century. As a result, transportation of goods and people within Australia and between the colonies also relied on the sea, particularly before the development of rail networks, good roads and the automobile. The oldest parts of many Australian cities, and the places where much urban archaeology has been done, were port towns built around shipping and maritime industries. The Rocks in Sydney, Wapping in Hobart, Port Adelaide in South Australia and Fremantle in Western Australia were all home to many people who worked on shore in maritime industries and temporary homes to the sailors who arrived on ships that passed through the ports. Their populations were outwardly focused and often well-travelled and were more ethnically mixed than in other parts of the colonies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Archaeology Program, La Trobe University, 3086, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia

    Susan Lawrence & Peter Davies

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  1. Susan Lawrence
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  2. Peter Davies
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Correspondence to Susan Lawrence .

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Lawrence, S., Davies, P. (2011). Shipwrecks and Maritime Trade. In: An Archaeology of Australia Since 1788. Contributions To Global Historical Archaeology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7485-3_4

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