Townsville. The 1791 Wreck of the Pandora artefacts in the Museum of Tropical QLD. Earthenware pots for storing olives, pickles etc.. .
The Wreck of the Pandora and the Mutineers of the Bounty.
In 1787 with Captain William Bligh in charge the Bounty was sent to Tahiti to gather bread fruit for the African slaves on the British sugar plantations of the West Indies. The Bounty set sail from Tahiti with many reluctant sailors on board. Three weeks later they mutinied with Fletcher Christian sending Bligh and 24 loyal men in a small open boat into the Pacific Ocean. Amazingly Bligh and his men reached Timor and eventually England where the Royal Admiralty was horrified of this most serious crime- mutiny. In 1790 the Pandora was sent to Tahiti to recapture the 25 mutineers, recover the Bunty and bring the mutineers back to England so they could face naval justice. Just 14 mutineers were found and jailed in a small cabin on the Pandora called The Box as a reference to the Greek fable of Pandora ’s Box. In August 1791 the Pandora sank on the Great Barrier Reef near Torres Straits. By the time the men aboard abandoned ship 4 mutineers and 31 crew were drowned. 89 crew and 10 mutineers reached a coral cay and eventually they reached Timor in a small boat. Upon their return to England 7 of the mutineers were pardoned and 3 were hanged. The wrecked Pandora lay on the ocean floor undiscovered until 1977. The Museum of Tropical north Queensland has since worked with the British Navy, the owners of the Pandora, to recover artefacts despite the great depth of the wreckage. The remains of the Pandora have been remarkably well preserved on the ocean floor. Many are now displayed in the Museum.
Townsville. The 1791 Wreck of the Pandora artefacts in the Museum of Tropical QLD. Earthenware pots for storing olives, pickles etc.. .
The Wreck of the Pandora and the Mutineers of the Bounty.
In 1787 with Captain William Bligh in charge the Bounty was sent to Tahiti to gather bread fruit for the African slaves on the British sugar plantations of the West Indies. The Bounty set sail from Tahiti with many reluctant sailors on board. Three weeks later they mutinied with Fletcher Christian sending Bligh and 24 loyal men in a small open boat into the Pacific Ocean. Amazingly Bligh and his men reached Timor and eventually England where the Royal Admiralty was horrified of this most serious crime- mutiny. In 1790 the Pandora was sent to Tahiti to recapture the 25 mutineers, recover the Bunty and bring the mutineers back to England so they could face naval justice. Just 14 mutineers were found and jailed in a small cabin on the Pandora called The Box as a reference to the Greek fable of Pandora ’s Box. In August 1791 the Pandora sank on the Great Barrier Reef near Torres Straits. By the time the men aboard abandoned ship 4 mutineers and 31 crew were drowned. 89 crew and 10 mutineers reached a coral cay and eventually they reached Timor in a small boat. Upon their return to England 7 of the mutineers were pardoned and 3 were hanged. The wrecked Pandora lay on the ocean floor undiscovered until 1977. The Museum of Tropical north Queensland has since worked with the British Navy, the owners of the Pandora, to recover artefacts despite the great depth of the wreckage. The remains of the Pandora have been remarkably well preserved on the ocean floor. Many are now displayed in the Museum.