MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY STUDENTS MAPPING THE WRECK OF THE HAWTHORN

According to the web page found at http://www.borderwatch.com.au/story/1287444/students-dive-into-maritime-history/?cs=1266 , “A team of student divers from Flinders University yesterday descended into the ocean at Carpenter Rocks to explore the wreck of a ship that ran ashore in 1948. Post-graduate students enrolled in the university’s maritime archaeology program began mapping the wreck of The Hawthorn and will continue research throughout the next two weeks. St Martins Lutheran College student Carl von Stanke was instrumental in attracting the university to the relatively unknown site. The 15-year-old developed a passion for exploring and documenting shipwrecks at a young age and even has his own maritime museum set up at home. About two years ago, Carl attended a Flinders University archeological field school session where students explored a shipwreck on the beach near Port MacDonnell. Since then, he has developed a relationship with representatives in the marine archaeology department at the university and suggested The Hawthorn as their next dive. “I thought it would be a good dive for them and I might get to help out,” he said. As a reward for his ongoing help, Carl was invited to spend a week participating in the dive. St Martins Lutheran College principal Dianne Eckermann has granted Carl a week off school to complete work with the divers. “Diving on shipwrecks has been an absolute passion of Carl’s for a long time,” she said. “He is very knowledgeable and has done a lot of research into local shipwrecks - this is a great learning opportunity for him.” Maritime archaeology program senior lecturer Dr Jennifer McKinnon said the field school was an essential part of the course for many reasons. “The students will practice diving skills and using various equipment, including diving gear, cameras and geophysical devices,” she said. “They will also be practically trained on how to map and document shipwrecks.” The Hawthorn was built in 1875 in Tasmania and was purchased by the Von Stanke family - Carl’s forefathers - in the mid-1940s when Carpenter Rocks became its home. Soon after its arrival, the ship pulled its anchor and washed ashore, which left it completely wrecked on the bottom of the ocean. “First we map the area and document the approximate size of the ship and mark the area,” Ms McKinnon said. “We will remove all the sand that lies on top of the wreck so we can take timber samples and match the results with information in historical documents. “We won’t be removing any artefacts and we will fill the wreck with sand when we have finished to ensure the site is left the way it was when we got there.” Carl is looking forward to participating in the dive next week. “I snorkel over The Hawthorn all the time and I’ve already mapped it out,” he said. “It’s all still pretty structural, it’s quite interesting. “I would like to complete the course these students are doing and become a marine archaeologist one day.” Findings will be compiled into a report and sent to the Commonwealth Shipwrecks Program, which issued the university with a permit to complete the dive.”