AusHeritage member, the Australian National Maritime Museum, established a Maritime Archaeology Research Centre last year and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project (RIMAP) to combine with future projects and potential funding prospects.
One of these significant projects is recovering the HMB Endeavour which was scuttled in Newport Harbour, Rhode island USA. After Captain James Cook sailed the HMB Endeavour on his epic voyages to the Pacific Ocean, the ship was largely forgotten, sold into private hands, renamed as Lord Sandwich and later hired as a British troop carrier during the American War of Independence.
Unfortunately in 1778, the boat was scuttled with other vessels, to block the Rhode Island harbour. Maritime archaeologists from both Australia and the United States have been endeavouring to discover the resting place of the timber vessel. It is hoped that the 250th anniversary in 2020 of Cook’s survey will raise awareness of the project.
For further information refer to