$20,000 discovery on Aussie island linked to brutal event 200 years ago

An Aussie man has been busted trying to sell $20,000 worth of historical items he found inside a national park. Authorities believe the avid metal detectorist collected 25 artefacts over 10 years, including musket balls that could date back to the 18th century.
Queensland's department of environment (DETSI) was alerted to the illegal sale by a member of the public after the items were listed online. They had been collected on Moreton Bay's Bribie Island, which was the location of a skirmish between Indigenous people and the British in 1799.
There was 'excitement' in the room when archaeologists and government officials examined the items this month to discuss new evidence the musket balls may once have been owned by British explorer Captain Matthew Flinders, who navigated his sea-faring ship HM Sloop Norfolk to Moreton Bay in 1799.
State environment minister Andrew Powell described the revelation as 'kind of unreal'.
Related: Item found among human skulls sheds new light on ancient civilisation
'[Flinders] encountered First Nations people at Skirmish Point on Bribie Island and although initial interactions were peaceful, there was believed to be a misunderstanding over his hat that led to a spear being thrown and muskets being fired, though there were no fatalities,' Powell said.
'According to his notes, Flinders interacted with First Nations people on July 23 at White Patch and gave them his shot belt, and the musket balls may have been left in the area.'
Because the balls were found close to a midden, a cultural site where food and waste were discarded, it's believed they may have been placed there by a First Nations person.
🤠 Ancient discovery near popular Aussie camping spot sparks delight
😯 Bizarre behaviour led to extinction of giant kangaroos
😢 Discovery at bottom of ancient well near outback town
The items were seized in October, 2023 and then assessed by the state's cultural heritage branch. The appearance of the objects indicates all were forged between 1799 and the mid-1800s.
They included a hand-wrought nail used in the construction and repair of boats, a rusted plumb bob weight used for surveying, and a decahedron metal ball which could have been used as ballast in a ship.
Details of the haul were revealed in May this year, as the state government announced they would be considered for display at the Queensland Museum.
Rather than prosecute the man responsible, authorities took the unusual step of using the matter to educate Aussies about the importance of safeguarding historical items.
Under the Queensland Environment Act, there is a requirement to notify authorities about finds that could have significance to the state.
Cultural heritage coordinator Dr Anthony Simmons explained it's important the excavation of historical items is overseen by experts from the department.
'If you don't have a very structured recovery of the artefacts, you lose a lot of information. And that information is important in terms of the context of the artefacts,' he said.
Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Chicago Tribune

12 hours ago

• Chicago Tribune

Sunken Bayesian superyacht lifted from waters off Sicily as salvage operation completed

PORTICELLO, Italy — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily last year, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, was lifted from the water Saturday as salvage recovery crews completed the complex operation to bring it ashore for further investigation. The white top and blue hull of the 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian, covered with algae and mud, was visibly clear of the sea in a holding area of a yellow floating crane barge off the Sicilian port of Porticello. 'The hull of the superyacht Bayesian has today been successfully and safely recovered from the sea off the coast of northern Sicily,' said TMC Maritime, the company conducting the recovery. 'This follows a delicate lifting procedure that began early today.' TMC added that the hull will continue to be held 'in an elevated position to allow expert salvage personnel to complete checks and preparations' ahead of its transportation into the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese on Sunday. The floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the port, where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will be then made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking. The Bayesian sank Aug. 19 off Porticello, near Palermo, during a violent storm as Lynch was treating friends to a cruise to celebrate his acquittal two months earlier in the U.S. on fraud charges. Lynch, his daughter and five others died. Fifteen people survived, including the captain and all crew members except the chef. Italian authorities are conducting a full criminal investigation. The vessel has been slowly raised from the seabed, 50 meters (165-feet) down, over the past three days to allow the steel lifting straps, slings and harnesses to be secured under the keel. Eight steel lifting straps were used to put the hull upright and to form part of a steel wire lifting system that began raising the vessel out of the water Saturday. As the superyacht was raised, seawater was pumped out of the hull. The Bayesian is missing its 72-meter (236-foot) mast, which was cut off and left on the seabed for future removal. The mast had to be detached to allow the hull to be brought to a nearly upright position that would allow the craft to be raised. British investigators said in an interim report issued last month that the yacht was knocked over by 'extreme wind' and couldn't recover. The report said the crew of the Bayesian had chosen the site where it sank as shelter from forecast thunderstorms. Wind speeds exceeded 70 knots (81 mph) at the time of the sinking and 'violently' knocked the vessel over to a 90-degree angle in under 15 seconds. Lynch, who sold Autonomy, a software maker he founded in 1996, to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011, had been acquitted of fraud charges in June 2024 by a federal court jury in San Francisco.

Hamilton Spectator

13 hours ago

• Hamilton Spectator

Photos of luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing 7, being lifted from the ocean

PORTICELLO, Italy (AP) — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily in 2024, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, has been recovered from the sea. The 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian was lifted by salvage crews near the port of Porticello, where it sank on Aug. 19 last year during a violent storm. A floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese, where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will then be made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .

San Francisco Chronicle​

14 hours ago

• San Francisco Chronicle​

Photos of luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing 7, being lifted from the ocean

PORTICELLO, Italy (AP) — A British-flagged luxury superyacht that sank off Sicily in 2024, killing U.K. tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, has been recovered from the sea. The 56-meter (184-foot) Bayesian was lifted by salvage crews near the port of Porticello, where it sank on Aug. 19 last year during a violent storm. A floating crane platform will move the Bayesian to the Sicilian port of Termini Imerese, where a special steel cradle is waiting for it. The vessel will then be made available for investigators to help determine the cause of the sinking. ___ This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.