In situ preservation and reburial of the ex-slave ship James Matthews

Abstract

The James Matthews (1841) was a copper-sheathed, wooden-hulled vessel, constructed in France in the late 1700s. During the 1830s, it operated in the illegal slave trade between Africa and America until it was captured by the British in 1837. The ship was re-registered and in 1841, the ship sailed for the Swan River colony in Fremantle, Western Australia but the day after arrival in Careening Bay, near Woodman Point, a violent storm struck and the vessel was wrecked on 22 July 1841. The James Matthews has been identified as historically and archaeologically important not only because of its significance to the early colonial history of Western Australia but because the near-complete starboard side of the vessel remains intact. As most of these types of vessels were destroyed when captured under the anti-slave trade legislation of the time, it is one of the world’s best-preserved examples of a 19th century purpose-built illegal slaver. However, over the past few years, the site has been under considerable threat from increased exposure due to natural near-shore sedimentary processes and localised industrial activity. Therefore, devising a comprehensive, appropriate and cost-effective remediation strategy to significantly reduce the continued deterioration of this historic shipwreck site is of paramount importance. A number of different reburial techniques are currently being trialled on the site and the results of these experiments will assist in implementing the most appropriate mitigation strategy for the long-term preservation of this important wreck site.