I came to Adelaide, Australia from England late in 1967, aged 15.
I attended high school here for just 9 days, but never took an active part in study since the other students were busy revising for exams that I wasn’t going to have to participate in.
Even though I started my time in Adelaide at the Glenelg migrant hostel, and continued to live in the Glenelg area, I have no early memories of just what HMS Buffalo meant to South Australia.
I may have slowly become aware of its significance, but I can’t recall just how that may have transpired at all.
I believe that I was familiar with the topic of the Buffalo for our July story of HMS Buffalo by 1986 when SA celebrated its Jubilee 150. I was made President of the Marine Life Society of SA in June that year. I had possibly arranged for John Mate, one of the divers on the 1986 expedition to the wreck site in NZ, to speak at our June meeting about it.
I may have already known John through involvement with the Scuba Divers Federation of SA, of which John was the President. I was already the Editor for the MLSSA newsletter, and I wrote two reports about the Buffalo for our July issue.
The first report was about John’s presentation at our June meeting, as follows: -
“LAST MONTH’S MEETING - Our June General Meeting was the Society’s 10th Anniversary. Appropriately, John Mate was our guest speaker, and his subject was the wreck of HMS Buffalo. This was appropriate because 1986 is also South Australia’s 150th Anniversary and it was HMS Buffalo which brought the state’s first Governor, John Hindmarsh, to SA in 1836 to proclaim the new colony. John Mate was one of the six South Australians who went on the recent expedition to the wreck of HMS Buffalo in New Zealand’s Mercury Bay. He told us about the history of the Buffalo and how it came to be shipwrecked. He also described the expedition to New Zealand in detail and the group’s work on the site of the wreck. John showed us lots of slides throughout the talk. Some slides showed the group’s equipment and work methods. John said that a documentary is being made about the Buffalo and the expedition to the wreck. We are looking forward to seeing it. Thanks again for a very interesting and enjoyable talk.”
The report about Last Month’s Meeting was followed by my little piece about the brief history of the Buffalo. (It stated that the ship was built in 1812.)
My interest in HMS Buffalo probably grew from that time on. I collected any information that I came across and maintained a file on the topic. Some 36 years later, in 2022, it was suggested that I write a final report regarding the 1986 SA expedition to the wreck site in New Zealand. I was keen to do that, and I gave it my best shot. My efforts were hindered, however, and it recently became obvious that my initial approach was not suitable.
I have now decided to complete my work in three different ways. (At least my efforts will not have been a complete waste of my time.) Here below is the first part of the three versions: -
Introduction
In 1986, a group of divers from South Australia made a trip to the Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand to do archaeological survey work on the 1840 wreck of HMS Buffalo, a 604-ton square-rigged, three-masted, wooden ship of teak construction.
The HMS Buffalo Re-Examination Project, in collaboration with the Mercury Bay Museum, began re-investigating the wreck site in early 2021.
The HMS Buffalo was used to take the first British colonists to South Australia. Keynes Dawe made this model of the Buffalo as a 12-year old in 1936 as part of a Centenary competition. The model is on display at the SA Maritime Museum in Port Adelaide, South Australia: -
Model of the 1813 build HMS Buffalo
(Made by Keynes Dawe as a 12-year old in 1936 as part of a Centenary competition)
The web page found at https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/70063457/hms-buffalo-waves-and-time-reveal-a-shipwreck-legacy features a good map of how the Buffalo was wrecked in Mercury Bay. It also states, “By the time another passing Royal Navy vessel visited in 1852, the ship's bare ribs are visible above the water and Buffalo Beach is being recorded on charts”.
This picture features on an interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay, New Zealand: -
A painting on the interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay
The wreck was said to lay in about 3m of water off Buffalo Beach in Mercury Bay, Whitianga on the east coast of New Zealand’s north island. The 1840 wreck was visible from the shore until the late 1920s, by which time it had settled further into the sand. It is now said to be about 50m offshore at Buffalo Beach.
The interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay, New Zealand
The 1986 expedition team included people from the State Heritage Branch, Department of Environment and Planning (SA), members of the Nautical Archaeology Association of South Australia (NAASA) and a couple of other recreational divers. NAASA was a breakaway group from the then Society for Underwater Research (SUHR), now South Australian Archaeology Society (SAAS).
This picture also features on the interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay, New Zealand: -
Another painting on the interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay
(Painting by Paul Deacon)
The wreck was found by the divers doing a grid search pattern and producing a grid map. The dive team spent seven days in the water and, despite poor visibility, recovered artefacts such as pieces of the wooden planking, brick ballast and an iron bolt. One of the team would sit in a ‘highchair’ made from plastic tubing, recording information passed on by divers. This information included magnetometer readings using an Aquascan X3 Proton Magnetometer. The divers also had to use sand dredging equipment in low visibility on the wreck.
The expedition was led by Bill Jeffery from the State Heritage Branch, Department of Environment and Planning (SA). Bill wrote a preliminary report on the survey of the wreck site. Titled “Report on survey of HMS Buffalo wreck site (1813-1840)”, it was published in the “Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology” (12(2):43-45).
History of the wreck
The Buffalo was built in Calcutta, India in 1813. According to, the web page found at https://redcoat-settlerswa.com/ships/buffalo-a-chequered-career/ , “Buffalo, originally named Hindostan, was built by Firth of Forth shipbuilders, James Bonner and James Horsburgh, at Sulkea on the West Bank of the Hooghly River, only five miles from Calcutta in West Bengal. She was a fully rigged sailing ship known as an East Indiaman or Merchantman. Launched in January 1813, she was 589 tons of teak hull; length 120 ft.; breadth 33 ft. 6 ins.; depth 15 ft. 8 ins. Her maiden voyage began on 8 Feb 1813 and finished when she arrived at The Downs, Kent on 10 Aug 1813. Hindostan was purchased and renamed Buffalo by the Royal Navy in October 1813 as a sixth-rate storeship and refitted for that purpose in January 1814. It was soon purchased by the Royal British Navy and re-named HMS Buffalo. The Navy re-purposed HMS Buffalo several times as a transport ship, timber carrier, quarantine ship and immigrant ship. It travelled between England, Australia, Canada and Aotearoa, New Zealand.” [7]
The building of the Hindostan (Buffalo) cost £18,000. Bricks were used for ballast and the wooden hull was copper sheathed.
According to a web page of HMS Buffalo Australia, “HMS Buffalo was a storeship of the Royal Navy, originally built and launched at Calcutta in 1813 as the merchant vessel Hindostan. The Admiralty purchased her that year after she arrived in Britain. She later transported convicts and immigrants to Australia ……(Wikipedia).” [1]
Further, “The Buffalo first reached Australia in 1833 after being fitted out to carry convicts to New South Wales” and “It was on its return to Portsmouth in 1834 that Captain John Hindmarsh commissioned the ship to transport free settlers to the new colony of South Australia.
“Buffalo was commissioned in November 1813 under Mr. Richard Anderson, Master, and became a ship of many uses and refits. Anderson was still her master between 1814 and 1815 when she was stationed at the Army Depot at Bermuda. Then in January 1816 Mr. W. Hudson became master.
“Buffalo was at Deptford in 1822, 1827, and 1831. She was fitted as a timber carrier to carry spars from New Zealand in 1831. However, she apparently was in the Quarantine Service at Stangate in 1832.
“Then in January 1833 she was fitted as a convict ship, and F.W.R. Sadler took command. Buffalo sailed to Australia 12 May 1833 and arrived on 5 October 1833. She carried 180 female convicts, one of whom died on the journey.
“Buffalo was an important ship in the maritime history of South Australia, serving at times as a quarantine, transport or colonisation ship, while also aiding the British expansion into New Zealand, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Upper Canada. Sadler received gifts from the local Maori chief Titore in the Bay of Islands during one of HMS Buffalo’s trips. The gifts included a pin, a club, and an ornate Hei-tiki, all now in the British Museum.
“Buffalo was paid-off and recommissioned in January 1835. Then James Wood* took command in July 1836. Buffalo sailed from Portsmouth on 23 July 1836, arriving in South Australian waters in December of that year, carrying 176 colonists, including Captain John Hindmarsh, who was to become the first Governor of the new colony of South Australia following the proclamation of that colony on 28 December 1836. As a tribute, a replica of the Buffalo** is moored in the Patawalonga River*** at Glenelg, a suburb of Adelaide. – Details as cited on Wikipedia.”
* (According to “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton, James wood, late master of H.M. Storeship Romney, became Master of the Buffalo on 11th July 1836, replacing Captain Frederick Sadler. However, the indications further in the book are that Captain John Hindmarsh was in command of the Buffalo for the trip to Glenelg, followed by, “Hindmarsh gave up command of the ship to the Master, James Wood, on 31 May”.) [6]
** (The replica of the Buffalo at Wigley Reserve, Glenelg, built in 1981, was demolished in 2019.)
*** (Actually Patawalonga Boat Harbour or Lake. It is the Sturt River (or Creek) that flows into the Patawalonga Lake.)
The HMS Buffalo replica in the Patawalonga at Glenelg
(The Buffalo is still well-represented at Glenelg though. The mayoral chair for the (now) Holdfast Bay Council is made from teak timber recovered from the Buffalo. There is also a bronze model of the Buffalo on top of the Pioneer Memorial column near the Glenelg jetty.)
HMS Buffalo is well-known for having brought Captain John Hindmarsh to the new colony as South Australia’s first Governor in 1836. It sailed from Portsmouth, England under Hindmarsh’s command on 23rd July with almost 200 emigrants on board. Labouring emigrants were allowed a free passage to South Australia.
The Buffalo anchored in South Australia’s Holdfast Bay on 28th December 1836. Captain Hindmarsh, as the State’s first Governor, went ashore and read what became known as ‘the proclamation’* of the new colony.
* (The actual proclamation was read in England about two years earlier. Settlement of SA had taken some 2-7 years by December 1836. The Act for the colonisation of South Australia was passed in the British Parliament on 15th August 1834. The Board of Commissioners for SA was appointed on 8th February 1835. John Hindmarsh was appointed as Governor on 28th May that year.)
Young Bingham Hutchinson, one of the emigrant passengers onboard the Buffalo in 1836, kept a personal journal of the voyage. The journal is titled “The journal of His Majesty’s Ship “BUFFALO”, from Portsmouth to the New Colony of South Australia, with His Excellency Governor Hindmarsh, R.N, K.H…..,”. He did this drawing of the ship for the journal’s cover.
Young Bingham Hutchinson’s drawing of HMS Buffalo
(As published in “The Adelaide Story” by Colin Thiele - South Australian Archives)
The drawing describes the Buffalo as being an “ugly old tub”. The drawing was taken from the South Australian Archives and published in “The Adelaide Story” by Colin Thiele (1982).
The drawing also features on pages 44 & 79 of “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton, and there is a photo of Young Bingham Hutchinson on page 53. He was born in 1806 and died in 1870.
According to a web page of HMS Buffalo Australia, “During the voyage there were several marriages conducted by the Captain, and a few burial-at-sea services. There were several births during the voyage. There were nineteen Marines on board to keep order and they remained with Hindmarsh and Stevenson in the new colony.” [1]
According to a web page of HMS Buffalo Australia, “176 passengers were on board” the Buffalo and “the voyage lasted for 158 days”. Further, “During this time the ship encountered many different weather conditions from dead calm to severe storms and hurricanes.” [1]
Eight ships had arrived with new settlers before the Buffalo’s arrival at Glenelg, South Australia. The Buffalo was later used to transport Captain Thomas Lipson, the State’s first Harbour Master, up the Port Adelaide River on 6th January 1837.
According to a web page of HMS Buffalo Australia, it was the Buffalo’s only trip to South Australia. The Buffalo was later mainly used for transporting “convicts from England and Canada to the colony in New South Wales, and shipping timber from New Zealand back to England”. [1]
The Buffalo’s cargo of timber was usually tall kauri timber to be used as masts for other tall ships.
The 27-year old Buffalo, under the command of James Wood, was shipwrecked in Mercury Bay, New Zealand in 1840. Captain James Cook had previously declared Mercury Bay to be a safe haven, but an enormous gale blew up whilst the Buffalo was anchored there on 29th July 1840. The Buffalo was waiting for another cargo of timber to be loaded at the time. The ship tried to ride out the storm, but it was driven towards the shore and was wrecked.
According to a web page of HMS Buffalo Australia, “Two of the Buffalo’s crewmen* were drowned when a lifeboat capsized when they were trying to reach the beach. The Buffalo currently lies about 200m from the high-water mark at Buffalo Beach. It was a sad end for the square rigged 123-foot (40m), 604-ton teak construction ship that was launched in Calcutta, India in 1813 as the Hindostan.” [1]
* (A man & a boy. According to “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton, the man was “seaman Charles Moore and a boy named John (Cornes or Corner or Carnie?), both of Chatham” (as named in the Hampshire Telegraph). According to the web page at https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300322801/waitangiera-hms-buffalo-shipwreck-washing-away-as-storms-take-toll , “it was thanks to local iwi Ngāti Hei (a dominant tribe of the Mercury Bay area) that only two people died. Using a rope as a pulley tangata whenua ("people of the land") were able to help the sailors ashore. They agreed to bury one of the dead sailors at their urupa Hukihuki (cemetery).” )
Chatham is a town in North Kent, in southeast England. Rebecca Cox, Manager of the Mercury Bay Museum sent me this photo of two 'memorial' stones in Mercury Bay: -
The two 'memorial' stones in Mercury Bay
(Photo courtesy of Rebecca Cox)
The rear stone states the boy’s name as ‘John Cornes’. Rebecca also said, “We have recently come across information that states he was the boy who was buried in the local urupa by the maori tribe”.
According to a web page of HMS Buffalo Australia, “Until the late 1920s the wreck of the ship was visible from the shore, known locally as Buffalo Beach, but it then disappeared as it settled further into the sand of the bay. It made a brief reappearance in May 1960 when the tide in the bay went dramatically out because of an earthquake across the Pacific Ocean in Chile.” [1]
According to the web page found at https://redcoat-settlerswa.com/ships/buffalo-a-chequered-career/ , “On 25 Jul 1840, Buffalo, under the command of James Wood, sailed from Mercury Bay, North Island, New Zealand, with a detachment of the 80th Foot Regiment, and a cargo of Kauri wood. The weather was bad and by the 28th, Buffalo was experiencing the full force of the gale and was blown ashore near Whitianga, North Island. Of her 93 crew, two seamen were drowned, but all the soldiers and other passengers were saved. The wreck subsided off-shore until it was eventually buried, but in May 1960, following upon tidal waves set up by earthquakes in Chile, the hull of the ship was washed to the surface and some of her fittings were salvaged after being submerged for 120 years.” [7]
The South Australian 1986 expedition
Members of the Nautical Archaeology Association of South Australia (NAASA) made an expedition to the wreck site in 1986 (during SA’s Jubilee 150, or 150th anniversary), along with maritime archaeologists Bill Jeffery and Bob Powell from the State Heritage Branch for the Department of Environment and Planning (SA). The divers were John Mate (Dive Team Leader), Barry Eshman and Alan Hale. SA divers Val Richards & Bob Stephenson, who are brother and sister, also did a dive on the wreck, as did some local divers.
NAASA divers Barry Eshman, Alan Hale & John Mate
(From The Advertiser 5/11/2011)
The SA group initially visited the replica of the HMS Buffalo at Glenelg to familiarize themselves with the wreck. The replica had cost some $1.5m to build, compared with the £18,000 to build the Hindostan.
According to a web page of HMS Buffalo Australia, the expedition of 1986 used local knowledge and photographs from that time to again find the final resting place of the Buffalo. “It required special permission from the New Zealand Government for the Australians, from the Nautical Archaeological Association of South Australia, to dive on the site (in 1986). The divers spent seven days in the water with the wreck of the Buffalo and recovered artefacts including pieces of the wooden planking, brick ballast and an iron bolt. Even though the water is relatively shallow, diving on the wreck was difficult because silt in the water reduced visibility to less than 1m, making it difficult to take a clear shot of the remains of the Buffalo.
“All that is left of the Buffalo now is the carcass of the ship. The ribs that formed the hull are still in place, the bricks that acted as ballast are there, but little else. Many relics have washed up on the beach over the years and some are in a small museum* by the shore. Much else was salvaged when the ship sank in 1840.” [1]
The Mercury Bay Museum in New Zealand
* (The Mercury Bay Museum at 11A The Esplanade, Whitianga (opposite the wharf). Relics on display there include the Buffalo’s compass, leg irons, a cannonball and handcuffs. The ship’s bible was apparently also recovered from the wreck. A new HMS Buffalo exhibit was unveiled at the museum in 2019. Details can be read at https://mercurybaymuseum.co.nz/new-hms-buffalo-exhibit/)
The film “Quest of the HMS Buffalo” by Brian Grant documents the 1986 expedition. The film was "An Official Jubilee (150) Project" of South Australia's Sesquicentenary (Sesquicentennial) celebrations for the year of 1986 recognizing the Australian state's 150th Birthday after it had been founded in 1836.” Len Skinner wrote the words for the film and Brenton Whittle was the film’s narrator.
The film features local Alf Simpson who witnessed the tide in the bay going out dramatically because of an earthquake in Chile, across the Pacific Ocean, in May 1960. Alf was born in 1896, so he was in his 60s in 1960. The low tide was caused by a tsunami that was created by the earthquake. The low tide created a bare beach and revealed the wreck of the Buffalo.
An Advertiser report about the film can be found at https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/search-for-the-ship-adelaide-forgot/news-story/dc3ce5c92b1cabe7a6a19c4c6931dd7d .
More details about the tsunami can be read at https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/9516/Hydrodynamic%20Modelling.pdf;sequence=6.
Maritime archaeologist Bill Jeffery wrote a preliminary report on the survey of the wreck site. Titled “Report on survey of HMS Buffalo wreck site (1813-1840), it was published in the Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, 12(2):43-45
A proposal titled “Proposal to survey, map and excavate the wreck site of HMS Buffalo located in Mercury Bay, New Zealand” was written within International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) guide-lines for carrying out archaeological investigations. It was approved by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, and salvage rights to the wreck sire were gained from the Ministry of Transport.
According to “Report on survey of HMS Buffalo wreck site (1813-1840)” published in the “Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology” (12(2):43-45), the survey was planned as an initial investigation to 'accurately locate, identify and ascertain the nature of the wreck site'.
Photographs taken during the 1960 earthquake that caused a very low tide off Buffalo Beach, exposing parts of the Buffalo wreck site, were used to locate the wreck site “within the surrounding countryside”.
“The photographs were used to position the commencement of the magnetometer survey and during an initial run over the area with the magnetometer, iron remains were detected. An area 50 m east-west by 50 m north-south surrounding the detected site was buoyed and a 4 m wide magnetometer survey was carried out in this area. The area was extended 25 m west, i.e. shorewards, to complete the survey. An anomaly approximately 36 m in length, lying in an east-west direction and 10 m in width, i.e. in a north-south direction was detected by the magnetometer.”
The identification of the wreck was confirmed by the fact that “The dimensions of the located wreck site correspond very closely to the dimensions of the Buffalo”.
(The dimensions of the site are given as: length of 120 feet (36 m equals 118 feet), and breadth 33 feet 10 inches (10 m equals 32 feet 10 inches).)
The identification of the wreck was also confirmed by Robert Sexton's book “H.M.S. Buffalo” (1984) as it provided some of “the historical information, particularly the map* drawn in 1841 of Mercury Bay and the description of the iron ballast remains; the photographs of the area during the earthquake in 1960; the data in the Whitianga museum; and the verification of the location by local divers Peter Spurdle, Gary Wilson and Robert Moise”.
* (The map is on page 157 of Robert Sexton's book “H.M.S. Buffalo” (1984). The book features many plans, drawings, photographs & maps. The Buffalo’s last voyage is covered from page 142 onwards. Its sinking is covered from page 155. “The author’s reconstruction of the Buffalo as fitted out in 1836” are shown on pages 174-5. “A Plan of the Buffalo’s prison (convict) deck” is on page 116. The salvage of items from the Buffalo is covered on pages 156 & 159 of Robert Sexton's book “H.M.S. Buffalo”.) [6]
The salvage of items from the Buffalo
In order to understand the recent state of the wreck, it is important to consider the salvage of items from the Buffalo as covered on pages 156 & 159: -
P.156
“her poop deck had been removed to provide planking to add another deck to the (240-ton) barque Bolina, by which her crew returned to Britain.”
P.159
“(Captain William Hobson) was very anxious to obtain provisions and stores saved from the wreck-flour, rum, canvas, blacksmith's forge and various tradesmen's materials, small arms and ammunition, and implements for cutting timber. There was no article more urgently required by the government than boats, however, and he was particularly keen to secure the Buffalo's pinnace (as part of the Buffalo’s barter stores).”
“The work of removing parts of the wreck was held up for four days by the heavy surf which prevented communication with her, but meanwhile, the hemp cable was dug out of the sand, the masts stripped of rigging”
“A hole was cut in the ship's side to starboard to get at the after hold and the spirit room, and the deck was scuttled over the magazine to get out the powder and the tanks. The poop deck was ripped up to provide planking to add a deck to the (240-ton barque) Bolina.”
“a scuttle was cut in the starboard bow of the Buffalo to provide better access.”
“While the forecastle deck was being removed so that the bowsprit could be got out, the Bolina was sent to find and recover the Buffalo's anchors, being successful except in the case of the stream. Pumps, water closets and cisterns, fireheaths, and guns were taken off, and the water tanks sent to Mr Browne's wharf to be cleaned and whitewashed.”
The dimensions for the Buffalo
It is also important to consider the size of the ship. The web page of HMS Buffalo Australia gives the following dimensions for the Buffalo: -
Length: 120 ft (37 m) (o/a), 98 ft 8 7⁄8 in (30.1 m) (keel)
(The length has also been given as 123-foot or 40m. “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton states “123ft 2ins extreme length aloft”.) Beam: 33 ft 6 in (10.21 m)
(“HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton states “33ft 8ins extreme breadth above the main wales”.)
According to Wikipedia, “A wale is one of the strakes of wooden planking that forms the outer skin of the hull of a ship, but substantially thicker than the other strakes. It provides extra stiffening and strength to the hull. It was a common feature of heavy wooden ship construction, particularly from mediaeval times to the early years of the 19th century …) Depth of hold: 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m)
(“HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton only states “5ft 10in height between decks”.)
(There is a glossary of ship terms in “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton, but ‘wales’ was not included in the glossary.)
The 1986 survey of the wreck site
The survey started with a general inspection of the wreck site. “Large sections of the site were found to be uncovered, including a considerable portion of the iron ballast that was reported to be on the Buffalo (Sexton, 1984: 46). Other material found to be exposed consisted mainly of the wooden frames, some protruding 50 cm out of the sand.
“Following this overall view of the wreck site, it was decided to excavate the sand in a trench across the wreck site, i.e. in a north-south direction approximately 7 m from the shore end of the site. Using four 2 metre-square plastic grids to traverse the wreck site, sand was removed from each square individually to reveal the remains of the vessel. The material in each square was then recorded before proceeding to the next square. The excavated sand naturally fell back into the squares very shortly after the excavation and some back-filling was carried out to assist in covering the exposed material.
“Upon the completion of this first trench, a second trench was uncovered in a similar manner at the sea end of the wreck site, 28 m from the shore end. Two squares were excavated and recorded across the wreck site and because little material was found in the second square, further excavation was carried out longitudinally, following what is thought to be the keelson of the vessel (excavated areas 2 and 3). These squares were back-filled similarly to the first trench.”
The results of the survey were as follows: -
In all the two metre squares that were excavated, any small portable artefacts that were exposed were recorded and recovered, they include the following:
List of small, portable, exposed artefacts recorded and recovered N.B. all measurements in millimetres 1 Piece of timber 100 x 40 x 60 - square 2 1 Piece of planking 520 x 70 x 25 - square 3 1 Cream brick 230 x 105 x 80 - square 1c 1 Piece of timber 200 x 45 x 50 - square 1b 1 Piece of timber 270 x 170 x 50 - square 1c (Square hole 18 mm2 and thin iron concretion) 1 Piece of timber 270 x 110 x 70 - square 1c (possibly a deck cleat) Iron bolt remains 230 x 16 - square 1c (iron concretion attached) 1 Ivory or bone handle from eating utensil 90x10x 15 - square 1c 2 Copper sheathing 120 x 30 x 2 - square 1d (fragments) 1 Small piece of timber 180 x 30 - square 1d
Figure 1. List of small, portable, exposed artefacts recorded and recovered
(“Permission was given to transport these artefacts back to the Conservation Laboratory in Adelaide where they have undergone the required documentation and conservation treatment.”)
The remaining structure found underneath the sand was in very good condition and consisted of:
-the keelson running full length of the wreck site
-ceiling planking
-frames (consisting of floors and futtocks*)
* (each of the curved timber pieces forming the lower part of a ship's frame)
-a small portion of outside planking
-iron, brick and rock ballast of which the majority was in the iron form
-an unidentified iron object, 550 mm in diameter located in square 1d
The report ended with the following conclusions and recommendations: -
“The wreck site of the HMS Buffalo was located and identified. The initial reaction to the nature of the wreck site found is that it would offer valuable information on the construction of an Indian-built vessel. This needs to be verified with the work carried out on similar wrecks in Australia. There seems to be little remaining evidence of the stores, fittings and possessions of the crew and soldiers to offer this type of information.”
The report featured a map (Fig.1) showing “Location of HMS Buffalo wreck site in Buffalo Bay, Mercury Bay, North Island of New Zealand (From Chart NZ5318).”
The report also details of a magnetometer survey of the wreck site (Fig.2) completed in two days when different background readings (beats) were used. This explains why the survey does not join up in Fig.2.
Fig.2 states that the magnetometer survey was “Carried out using an Aquascan Proton Magnetometer which uses an audible beat to detect ferrous anomalies. The values shown … are the number of beats; 10 beats represent about 100 nT (nano Teslar), 50 beats about 400 nT, 100 beats about 800 nT ….. Nano Teslar are the units for measuring magnetic fields.”
Fig.3 shows a basic plan of the wreck site. The plan shows the location of squares 1a to 1d discussed above.
2021 re-investigation of the wreck site
There are over 2000 shipwrecks around New Zealand. According to a web page for the Mercury Bay Museum, “HMS Buffalo was built in India in 1813 and originally named Hindostan. Soon after its completion, in 1840 while anchored in Mercury Bay, Buffalo was caught in a storm and became a complete loss. The wreck site now lies 50 m off Buffalo Beach. The shipwreck is a protected archaeological site under the Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Act 2014.” [2]
The Mercury Bay Museum’s HMS Buffalo Re-examination Project commenced in February 2021. According to a web page for the Mercury Bay Museum, the project would: -
“Survey and accurately map the exposed hull structure of HMS Buffalo on the seafloor and to update existing archaeological site records to be used for future management and public interpretation.
“Record the site using both manual and modern digital recording techniques to ensure detailed site observations and measurements are combined to produce a scaled site plan and a 3D digital model.
“Sample exposed hull materials to reveal new information on the vessel’s construction and to create a material reference catalogue to assist with provenancing (sic) existing Buffalo museum collections.” [3]
According to a project update on the Mercury Bay Museum website (February 2021), the HMS Buffalo Re-examination Project was planning to have a team of volunteer divers, led by maritime archaeologists Matthew Gainsford and Kurt Bennett, survey the wreck over two days. This would be the first archaeological survey to be done since 1986 (by Bill Jeffery and five divers from Adelaide).
“Surveying the wreck entails measuring, photographing, recording details and taking samples that will paint a picture of the wreck as it sits on the ocean floor 50 metres from the beach. With the advancements in technology over the last 35 years it is hoped that the survey will produce sufficient photographs and data to create a 3D model of the HMS Buffalo shipwreck. The scientific testing of the samples taken will provide a reference for establishing provenance of the artefacts held in the Museum collection.” [4]
According to a Mercury Bay Museum web page, late May 2021 was a busy time for the Museum. Six pieces of timber believed to be from the Buffalo wreck were washed up.
“Over the weekend of 28th May we received a total of five timbers that were collected from the beach with the community’s assistance. These pieces have been laying at the Museum under tarpaulins staying wet by way of daily hosings by the museum volunteer team.
“Then just last week we received another piece that was found north of Taputapuatea (Mother Brown’s creek) and we were called in to pick it up. Thanks to Hirini from Thames-Coromandel District Council for helping to retrieve it.
“So, what do we have to do with these timbers?? While we await the maritime archaeologist and timber conservator to arrive, they have advised us to place them in a 50/50 mix of salt and fresh water to allow the desalination process to start.”
The timbers in a 50/50 mix of salt & fresh water to allow the desalination process to start
“We put out a call late last week for help to create the space for this and now these timbers have their temporary home to lay in. We want to say a huge THANK YOU to …. members of our wonderful community who gave not only the resources to ‘build’ these tanks but their time to us for free to clear the site, create the tank and then fill it.” [5]
More photos can be found at https://www.facebook.com/mercurybaymuseumwhitianga/photos/pcb.4280118398714367/4280117115381162/ .
On 14th August 2021, the wreck of HMS Buffalo was clearly visible in Mercury Bay: -
HMS Buffalo was clearly visible in Mercury Bay On 14th August 2021
A photo of a cairn on the Mercury Bay Museum website suggests that the Buffalo wreck is located at 36° 49.588 S, 17.5° 42.297 E.
Location of the HMS Buffalo wreck
(Source: Wikimili https://wikimili.com/en/HMS_Buffalo_(1813) )
Later in August 2021, maritime archaeologist Dr Kurt Bennett was able to report, “The volunteer-led HMS Buffalo Re-Examination Project, in collaboration with the Mercury Bay Museum, began re-investigating the wreck site in early 2021. Current site conditions presented an opportunity to survey hull remains that were not previously accessible in the 1986 archaeological survey led by Dr Bill Jeffery. Results from the survey and material analysis are expected to be available in early 2022.
For more info (visit):
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hmsbuffaloproject/ “
Carronades
Carronades from HMS Buffalo are discussed on pages 27 & 83 in “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton. A carronade is “a short, large-calibre cannon, formerly in naval use”. There is a drawing of the barrel of an 18-pounder carronade on page 83 of “HMS Buffalo”. It is a drawing of a carronade barrel said to be “mounted near the ‘old gumtree’ at Glenelg”. Such carronades were “landed on 29 May 1837”.
Here is a photo of a carronade recovered from the 1888 shipwreck Star of Greece by Doug Seton, Guy Hebblewhite and Ray Sedunary: -
Doug Seton, Guy Hebblewhite & Ray Sedunary with a carronade recovered from the Star of Greece
(Photo courtesy of Gus Hebblewhite)
A 3D digital model of a carronade thought to be from the HMS Buffalo can be seen at https://skfb.ly/6ZtPS . The carronade is discussed at https://mercurybaymuseum.co.nz/hms-buffalos-cannon-or-carronade/ .
The web page found at https://gawler.nowandthen.net.au/Popham_William_Home describes another carronade (or two): -
“This small armament (described as a six-pounder carronade) is believed to have come from the HMS Buffalo, the ship that brought the first settlers to South Australia. It was bought for Dr William Home Popham by George Causby, a local entrepreneur who had many business interests in Gawler and in Adelaide. Dr Popham was in possession of this cannon when he lived at Glenelg. A report in the Glenelg Illustrated, 1836-1896 stated that he fired it to commemorate the ‘coming of age of South Australia’ on 28 December 1857. Dr Popham arrived in South Australia during 1853 and resided at Glenelg until 1858 when he moved to Gawler, possibly bringing two cannons with him. Early in 1866, the residents of Gawler were advised that they would be given notice that the English mail had arrived by the ‘discharge of a six-pounder gun’, and ‘by the hoisting of the usual chequered flag with black ball at top’ in ‘Dr Popham’s garden’. The cannon was used not only to signal the arrival but also to herald many events in Gawler: the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh at Port Adelaide on 29 October 1867 ; two cannons fired a vice-regal salute as the Governor, Sir James Fergusson, arrived and departed for the occasion of laying the foundation for the Gawler Institute on 30 May 1870 ; to warn the citizens of Gawler on 3 July 1888 when it was thought that the Russians were coming to invade the country; a twenty-one gun salute during the visit to Gawler of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Fowell Buxton, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the reign of Queen Victoria on 14 July 1897 ; rejoicing the end of the siege of Ladysmith in February 1900 and the relief of Mafeking , and the regaining of Johannesburg during the Boer War; a three-gun salute to honour Queen Victoria’s birthday on 24 May 1900 ; welcoming the twentieth century and celebrating St George’s Day on 23 April 1902 . Late in 1953, Mrs Esther Harris, a descendant of Dr Popham, offered the cannon to Gawler Council. The offer was declined, one Councillor remarking that the town already had two cannons that council was trying to be rid of. Mrs Harris then offered the cannon to the’ Archives Department’ with the explanation that it had belonged to her grandfather, Dr William Home Popham, and subsequently to her father, Dr Francis William Home Popham. After her father’s death in 1903, the cannon was in the custody of Mrs Harris’ mother and then another relative, who died. Mrs Harris lived interstate and was keen to see the cannon remain in South Australia. The Archives Department also declined the offer and eventually the Art Gallery of South Australia accepted the cannon. The cannon remained at the Art Gallery of South Australia for the next thirty-four years during which time it was lent out on two or three occasions for display. One of those occasions was at the Gawler Post Office during the 1980s. During 1986, administrators at the Art Gallery of South Australia transferred ownership of the cannon to the History Trust of South Australia but continued to store it. In mid-1988, after successful negotiations by Gawler Council, Dr Popham’s cannon was returned to Gawler and given ‘pride of place’ at Gawler Public Library. For the past ten years, however, it has been in local storage. Researched and written by Anne Richards, Librarian Customer Services, Gawler Public Library.”
Figure 2. Details from the web page found at https://gawler.nowandthen.net.au/Popham_William_Home
describing another carronade (or two)
HMS Tortoise
According to the web page found at https://www.tcdc.govt.nz/Your-Council/News-and-Media/News-and-Public-Notices/News-Archived-Articles/December-2017/March-2017/All-hands-on-deck-for-175th-commemoration-in-May/ , “The HMS Tortoise was sent to New Zealand to collect the wooden spars that HMS Buffalo was supposed to return with but which had been lost in a storm in 1840, according to writings by John McLean in “A Mission of Honour: The Royal Navy in the Pacific 1769-1997”, Tortoise was also charged with recovering the anchors from Buffalo.”
According to the web page found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Edward_Hughes_(1784_EIC_ship)#Gathering_wood_in_New_Zealand , “James Wood was appointed on 22 May 1841 as master of (HMS) Tortoise. However, Tortoise's next task was to transport convicts to Van Diemen's Land. On 12 August Wood received orders take on convicts, carry them to Van Dieman's Land, and then sail to New Zealand to gather timber and spars for the Navy.”
The web page goes on to state that “(James) Wood had been captain of HMS Buffalo when she had wrecked at Mercury Bay off Whitianga in 1840 on an identical mission.”
There are now fears that the wreck of the Buffalo is disintegrating, as reported at https://www.theinformer.co.nz/detail.aspx?cid=4654 .
Recent reports:
The (as yet unpublished) paper titled “For Community, by Community—Promoting Maritime Archaeology in Aotearoa New Zealand through the Re-examination of the HMS Buffalo Shipwreck (1840)” by Kurt Bennett, Matthew Gainsford & Rebecca Cox states, “the Buffalo shipwreck is automatically protected as an archaeological site under the HNZPT Act 2014. It is also recorded in the national archaeological database (ArchSite, 2021) as site number T11/562. Therefore, the site cannot be modified in any way without an archaeological authority from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (HNZPT).”
Further, “The purpose of the (1986) project was to survey, map and excavate part of the wreck site. Before excavation could start, the team needed to locate and identify the shipwreck because it was buried below the seafloor. After completing a magnetometer survey in an area of 50 m × 75 m, a 36 m long × 10 m wide anomaly appeared in an east–west by north–south orientation. The anomaly was inspected and identified to be the Buffalo shipwreck site. The site’s area was found to measure 36 m (118 ft) long and 10 m (33 ft 10 in.) wide (Jeffery 1988:43). The identification was also checked against existing literature such as Sexton (1984) and photographs of the Buffalo shipwreck site taken during the 1960s earthquake/tsunami, and by verifying the location using local knowledge from people who had previously interacted with the site.
“A general inspection in 1984, reported ‘large sections of the site were found to be uncovered, including a considerable portion of the iron ballast’ (Jeffery 1988:43). Other exposed material was noted as several wooden frames extending 50 cm in height from the seafloor. Based on this visible extent and the site condition and to excavate a trench in a north south orientation, seven metres from the shore end of the shipwreck (Jeffery 1988:43). The trench was excavated using four 2 m × 2 m plastic squares, with each individual square being excavated before progressing to the next square. After this trench was completed, a second trench was placed 28 m from the shore end and consisted of three squares. Two squares were excavated across the ship site and the third square was continued longitudinally (Jeffery 1988:43). After recording each trench, they were both backfilled with surrounding sand.
“The results of the survey and excavation recorded the ship’s hull structure, copper sheathing fragments, personal items and large concretions. The team described the remaining hull structure as being in very good condition, noting the keelson running the full length of the site. Other diagnostic ship components and features included ceiling planking, frames, outer planking and iron, brick and rock ballast.”
“approximately 100 m from shore, the site lies in a dynamic environment. It is protected from most sea swell and wind directions but is completely exposed to regular easterly seas. The site lies on a gently sloping, medium to fine-grained sandy seabed in a maximum depth of 3.5 m at high tide.”
It seems that visibility at the Buffalo site (30–50 cm, or lower) is comparable to the poor conditions that I found in the Patawalonga Lake at Glenelg, South Australia, close to the site of the now demolished Buffalo replica.
Acknowledgements:
My thanks go to everyone who has assisted me with the above details, including Dr Kurt Bennett, Rebecca Cox, John Mate, Robert Sexton, Peter Christopher, the late Doug Seton, Gus Hebblewhite, Mark Polzer, Jeremy Green and Bill Jeffery for his 1986 preliminary report.
References:
[6] “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton, April 1984, Australasian Maritime Historical Society
Now that I've got this first step out of the way, I can start to focus on the next two steps - completing the actual final report and compiling a record of allof the known artefacts from HMS Buffalo: -
Cannons at the Old Gum Tree
Cannon at the Bay Discovery Centre
Cannon at Gawler Council
Mayoral chair at the Bay Discovery Centre
Settee lounge at Government House
Items from 1986 expedition to be repatriated to NZ
Items in Mercury Bay Museum
Items from Buffalo replica
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