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Tales from the team, collections and history-related musings…

The French Voyage to Australia, 1800-1804

Life on and after Neptune: The story of a disastrous Second Fleet ship

Artefacts from an Aofa

A look at items in the Silentworld Collection from the Solomon Islands. Items from the Aofa (Sacred Canoe House) include fish-shaped coffins, ancestor figures and a carved post figure...

Canoe House Post Figure. Silentworld Foundation Collection. Image: Todd Barlin/Oceanic Art Australia

Ask a Museum…or a Curator…or a Conservator…or an Archaeologist….

Ever wanted to find out what is like to work in a museum? What does it take to be an archaeologist? Do you have a favourite museum object? Welcome to #AskACurator 2021!

Barangaroo Boat Conservation Forum

On Monday 15 August Sydney Metro and Silentworld Foundation welcomed archaeological conservators to their Yennora facility for Barangaroo Boat focused day. While we have been able to provide some smaller site tours and visits for interested parties, this day allowed us to share with our colleagues…

Capturing the world under the waves

To celebrate World Photography Day, we chatted with Julia Sumerling – the talented photographer and videographer behind some of the Silentworld Foundation’s most beautiful expedition imagery.

Kieran Hosty with an insitu anchor during the 2018 Boot Reef expedition. © Julia Sumerling/Silentworld Foundation.

How to voyage to the Pitcairn Islands to visit HMS Bounty

Captain Michael Gooding shares how to prepare for a voyage to the Pitcairn Islands - home to the wreck of HMS Bounty.

What to do with your at home treasures

This series of blogs will provide an overview into how to conserve your family’s precious heritage, using affordable at home solutions, or advise when you may need to escalate and consult a conservator.

Caring for your at-home treasures part 1. Image: margarita_kochneva/Pixabay.

On the road with William Cox

Explore the story of William Cox, military officer, and road builder, best remembered for his work on the construction of the first road over the Blue Mountains.

Portrait of William Cox. Silentworld Foundation Collection SF001178.

A portrait in pastel

A soft portrait, in pastel, ties together the early art in Colonial Australia and its subjects.

Portrait of Elizabeth Ann Wilson Potter (Mrs Francis Barnes). Silentworld Foundation Collection SF001457 src=

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SCANNING THE BARANGAROO BOAT

The personal experiences of a 3D scanning novice working on the recording of the Barangaroo Boat wreck timbers. In Sydney, Australia.

Iron ballast from HMB Endeavour

On 10 June 1770, HMB Endeavour under the command of Captain James Cook was sailing north along the east coast of Australia. At 11 pm, it struck a reef and started taking on water. Desperate to lighten the ship, the crew heaved nearly 48 tons of material over the side, including ballast and cannons.…

View of the Endeavour River. Silentworld Foundation collection SF001479.

How to clean a sword

Conservator Heather Berry explains the process of cleaning a naval sword made of metals, shark skin and a leather case, as well as, the conservation requirements for each material.

Figure 6: After Treatment, Sword handle. Image: Heather Berry/Silentworld Foundation.

The fabled land of Beach, Locach, Java La Grande, and Terra Australis Incognita

How 40,000 years after the first Australians arrived, Australia was “discovered” again

Map. Hand coloured copper engraving. Maris Pacifici. 345mm x 497mm. Antwerp, 1595. The first printed map to be devoted solely to the Pacific, and the first to name North and South America separately. It includes most of North and South America...

Cleaning the Barangaroo Boat

How do you clean a 200-year-old, heavily sedimented, archaeological boat? With dish brushes, toothbrushes, plastic scrapers, and LOTS of care.

Oysters and pitch on plank. © Sydney Metro.

Finding the Barangaroo Boat

Nobody expected to find a boat while digging for a new train station...

Barangaroo Boat excavation. Image: Renee Malliaros/Silentworld Foundation for Sydney Metro, 2018.

The Battle of Rhode Island

WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE BRITISH SHIPS WERE SCUTTLED? After the British intentionally sunk some of their ships in order to keep the French naval force at bay, the French Admiral Comte d’Estaing, brought his entire fleet into the harbour and landed his troops on the close by Conanicut Island.

Searching for Endeavour

In September 2018, Silentworld Foundation joined the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) and the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) in their ongoing work investigating vessels deliberately sunk by the British in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island in defense of the city of Newport…

THE COLOURS OF WRECKS

Recent fieldwork, combined with satelitte imagery, shows the impact of iron artefacts discolouring coral reefs. This research is being developed in partnership with the Australian National Maritime Museum.