Final Report on the 1986 archaeological survey by a team of South Australian divers on the wreck of HMS Buffalo in New Zealand
by Steve Reynolds
Introduction
I am publishing this report online after waiting about 3 years for authorities to consider publishing it in journals, etc.. This Final Report provides details to complete the preliminary report titled “Report on survey of HMS Buffalo wreck site (1813-1840)” (permit number 1986/15) by maritime archaeologist Bill Jeffery (published in the Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, 12(2):43-45).
HMS Buffalo was a 604-ton square-rigged, three-masted, wooden ship of teak construction. It was used to take the first British colonists to South Australia in 1836. It was eventually wrecked in Mercury Bay, New Zealand in 1840,
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 wreck.
* (1986 was South Australia’s 150th Jubilee, the 150th anniversary of HMS Buffalo bringing the first British colonists to South Australia in 1836.)
Despite poor visibility, the dive team recovered several artefacts, including pieces of the wooden planking, brick ballast and an iron bolt. These are listed below under Results of the Survey.
Those artefacts were transported, with permission, to the Conservation Laboratory in Adelaide, where they underwent documentation and conservation treatment. Some of this work features in a documentary titled “Quest of the H.M. S. Buffalo”. The documentary was produced as a Jubilee 150 project.
Now, 37 years later (2023), there are plans to return those artefacts to New Zealand.
History of the wreck
Construction of the ship
HMS Buffalo (as the Hindostan) was built near Calcutta, India in 1813. The wooden (teak) hull of the ship was copper sheathed. Bricks were used for ballast.
The 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. [1]
It was (then) a 589-ton fully rigged sailing ship known as an East Indiaman or Merchantman. It was launched in January 1813.
Its wooden (teak) hull measured: -
Length 120 ft.; breadth 33 ft. 6 ins.; depth 15 ft. 8 ins. [1]
It commenced its maiden voyage on 8th Feb 1813. That voyage finished upon its arrival at The Downs, Kent on 10th Aug 1813. [1]
Use of the ship
Hindostan was purchased by the Royal Navy in October 1813, at a (then) cost of £18,000, and renamed Buffalo. It was commissioned in November 1813. It was refitted as a sixth rate storeship in January 1814. [1]
As HMS Buffalo, it was re-purposed several times as a transport ship, timber carrier, quarantine ship and convict & migrant transport ship. It travelled between England, Australia, Canada and Aotearoa, New Zealand. [1} & [2]
The wrecking event
On 25th July 1840, HMS Buffalo sailed from Mercury Bay on the North Island of New Zealand into some bad weather. The ship was under the command of James Wood. There was a crew of 93, some passengers and a detachment of the 80th Foot Regiment onboard, and a cargo of Kauri wood. By the 28th of July, the Buffalo was experiencing the full force of an enormous gale and it was blown ashore near Whitianga whilst anchored there on 29th July. [1]
Even though (Captain) James Cook had previously declared Mercury Bay to be a safe haven, the gale was too strong to hold the Buffalo which tried to ride out the storm. It was driven towards the shore and was wrecked. [1]
The Buffalo, as a square-rigged ship, was unable to sail against the wind and into safe waters. [10]
The two fatalities
Everyone onboard was saved except for two of the Buffalo’s crew, a man and a boy, who were drowned when a lifeboat capsized when they were trying to reach the beach.” [1] & [4]
The man was seaman Charles Moore, and the boy was named John (Cornes, or Corner, or Carnie?). Both were from Chatham, a town in North Kent, in southeast England. [4]
A local iwi Ngāti Hei (a dominant tribe of the Mercury Bay area) used a rope as a pulley to help the surviving sailors ashore. They agreed to bury the dead boy, John ‘Cornes’, at their urupa Hukihuki (cemetery).” ) [4]
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”.
Interpretive signage for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck
The interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay, New Zealand
This picture features on the interpretive sign: -
A painting on the interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay
This picture also features on the interpretive sign: -
Another painting on the interpretive sign for the HMS Buffalo shipwreck at Mercury Bay
(Painting by Paul Deacon)
The aftermath of the wreck
In 1852, a passing Royal Navy vessel found that the Buffalo's bare ribs were visible above the water. ‘Buffalo Beach’ was now being recorded on charts”. [4]
The 1840 wreck was visible from the shore until the late 1920s, by which time it had settled further into the sand of the bay. It is now said to be about 50m offshore at Buffalo Beach. [1]
HMS Buffalo made a brief reappearance after some 120 years when the tide in the bay went dramatically out because of tidal waves set up by earthquakes across the Pacific Ocean in Chile in May 1960. The ship’s hull was washed to the surface and some of her fittings were salvaged. [1]
Local man Alf Simpson witnessed the tide in the bay dramatically going out. The low tide created a bare beach and revealed the wreck of the Buffalo. [6]
Alf Simpson was born in 1896, so he was in his 60s in 1960. He features in a film by Brian Grant titled “Quest of the HMS Buffalo” which documents the 1986 expedition. [7]
1986 archaeological survey
The participants
Members of the Nautical Archaeology Association of South Australia (NAASA) made an expedition to the wreck site in 1986 under permit number 1986/15 (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 three NAASA divers were John Mate (Dive Team Leader), Barry Eshman and Alan Hale. SA divers Bob Stephenson & Val Richards, who are brother and sister, also did a dive on the wreck, as did some local divers.
(NAASA was a breakaway group from the then Society for Underwater Research (SUHR), now South Australian Archaeology Society (SAAS).)
NAASA divers Barry Eshman, Alan Hale & John Mate
(From The Advertiser 5/11/2011)
The replica of the Buffalo
The SA group initially visited the replica of the HMS Buffalo at Glenelg to familiarize themselves with the wreck in preparation for their expedition. The replica had cost some $1.5m to build, compared with the £18,000 to build the Hindostan.
In 1981, a replica of the Buffalo was built at Wigley Reserve, Glenelg (at the edge of the Patawalonga Lake). [2]
The HMS Buffalo replica at the Patawalonga Lake at Glenelg
(Although it was demolished in 2019, the Buffalo is still well-represented at Glenelg. The mayoral chair for the Glenelg Council (now Holdfast Bay Council) was made from teak timber recovered from the Buffalo. It is now located in the Bay Discovery Centre at Glenelg.
The mayoral chair for the former Glenelg Council
(Taken by Steve Reynolds)
A cannon from HMS Buffalo can be seen in the background of the above photo of the old mayoral chair. There is also a bronze model of the Buffalo on top of the Pioneer Memorial column near the Glenelg jetty.)
The Pioneer Memorial column near the Glenelg jetty
(with a bronze model of the Buffalo on top)
(Taken by Steve Reynolds)
Aims of the investigations
The 1986 survey was planned as an initial investigation to 'accurately locate, identify and ascertain the nature of the wreck site'. The expedition team used local knowledge and photographs from that time to again find the final resting place of the Buffalo. [1]
They required special permission from the New Zealand Government to dive on the site. 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) guidelines for carrying out archaeological investigations. It was approved by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust, and salvage rights to the wreck site were gained from the Ministry of Transport.
Environmental background
The dive team were initially told that there was “nothing out there, there’s nothing left to see”. Fortunately, they found enough at the site to keep them all busy for one week.
Shallow water & poor visibility
The divers were in the water with the wreck of the Buffalo for seven days. The water was relatively shallow and diving on the wreck was difficult. Silt in the water reduced visibility to less than 1m. The poor visibility made it difficult to take good photographs of the remains of the wreck. [1]
The items previously salvaged 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 of “Report on survey of HMS Buffalo wreck site (1813-1840)” [8],: -
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.”
Methodology
The location of the activity
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. [9])
Location of the HMS Buffalo wreck
(Source: Wikimili https://wikimili.com/en/HMS_Buffalo_(1813) )
Location of the site
According to the report by Bill Jeffery, 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. [8]
The wreck was found by the divers doing a grid search pattern and producing a grid map. During an initial run over the area with the Aquascan X3 Proton Magnetometer, iron remains were detected 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.
“An area 50m east-west by 50m 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.” [8]
Identification of the wreck
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).) [8]
(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*”.)
Depth of hold: 15 ft 8 in (4.78 m) (“HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton only states “5ft 10in height between decks”.) [1] & [4]
* (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 … There is a glossary of ship terms in “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton, but ‘wales’ was not included in the glossary.) [4]
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”. [4]
* (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.) [4]
The survey
The survey started with a general inspection of the wreck site. The divers found that large sections of the site were uncovered, including a considerable portion of the iron ballast (that was reported by Sexton (1984: 46) to be on the Buffalo. Wooden frames were also found exposed, with some protruding 50 cm out of the sand. [8]
Sand was first excavated in a trench across the wreck site. This trench ran in a north-south direction, approximately 7 m from the shore end of the site. Hessian was used to limit the amount of sand falling back down into the trench.
Four 2 metre-square plastic grids were used to traverse the wreck site. Sand was removed from each square individually to reveal the remains of the vessel. The material found in each square was then recorded before proceeding to the next square. The exposed material was then covered again, firstly by excavated sand naturally falling back into the squares very shortly after the excavation, and then some back-filling was carried out to assist in covering the exposed material. [8]
A second trench was uncovered at the sea end of the wreck site, in a similar manner to the first trench, 28 m from the shore end. Two squares were excavated and recorded across the wreck site. Little material was found in the second square, so further excavation was carried out longitudinally (excavated areas 2 and 3). This followed what is thought to be the keelson of the vessel. These squares were back-filled similarly to the first trench.
The results of the survey
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.
Small portable artefacts that were exposed in all the two metre squares that were excavated were recorded and recovered: -
(All measurements are in millimetres)
Square 1b
1 Piece of timber 200 x 45 x 50
Square 1c
1 Cream brick 230 x 105 x 80 -
1 Piece of timber 270 x 170 x 50 (Square hole 18 mm2 and thin iron concretion)
1 Piece of timber 270 x 110 x 70 (possibly a deck cleat)
Iron bolt remains 230 x 16 (iron concretion attached)
1 Ivory or bone handle from eating utensil 90 x 10 x 15
Square 1d
2 Copper sheathing 120 x 30 x 2 (fragments)
1 Small piece of timber 180 x 30
Square 2
1 Piece of timber 100 x 40 x 60
Square 3
1 Piece of planking 520 x 70 x 25
(Permission was given to transport these artefacts back to the Conservation Laboratory in Adelaide where they underwent the required documentation and conservation treatment.)
Fig.3 shows a basic plan of the wreck site. The plan shows the location of squares 1a to 1d discussed above.
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
Conclusions
The wreck site of the HMS Buffalo was located and identified.
Recommendations
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 magnetometer survey
The magnetometer survey (Fig.2) does not join up because the magnetometer survey of the wreck site was completed in two days when different background readings (beats) were used.
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.”
Results
The divers found that only the carcass of the ship was left. The ribs of the hull were still in place. The ballast bricks were also there, but that was about all. (Many items had been salvaged when the ship sank in 1840. Many other relics had washed up on the beach over the years since then, and some were already in the Mercury Bay Museum by the shore.) The divers recovered artefacts, including pieces of the wooden planking, brick ballast and an iron bolt. [1]
Records of the expedition & survey
The documentary “Quest of the HMS Buffalo” [10] by Brian Grant documents the 1986 expedition. The video 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 narrator.
“Quest of the H.M.S. Buffalo”:
Discusses the history of HMS Buffalo
Features the expedition’s dive team
Shows the survey techniques that were used
Gives an artist’s impression of what the wreck site was like at the time
Shows some of the Buffalo’s artefacts in the Mercury Bay Museum at the time
Describes the origin of the (then) Glenelg Council’s mayoral chair
Documents the building of the replica vessel at Glenelg North
As previously mentioned, 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.
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)” (permit number 1986/15). It was published in the Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, 12(2):43-45. [8]
The Mercury Bay Museum in New Zealand
Display of relics from the wreck
The Mercury Bay Museum is located 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. [5]
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)
Interesting anecdotes
Under Mr. Richard Anderson as its Master from 1813 to 1816, HMS Buffalo became a ship of many uses and refits. It was stationed at the Army Depot at Bermuda between 1814 and 1815.
Mr. W. Hudson became HMS Buffalo’s Master in January 1816. [2]
It was at Deptford in 1822, 1827, and 1831. In 1831, it was fitted as a timber carrier to carry spars from New Zealand. In 1832, it was in the Quarantine Service at Stangate. [2]
In January 1833, it was fitted as a convict ship and F.W.R. Sadler took command. [2]
On 12th May 1833, HMS Buffalo sailed to New South Wales, Australia carrying 180 female convicts (one of whom died on the journey) and arrived there on 5th October 1833. It returned to Portsmouth in 1834. [2]
In 1834 (on its return to Portsmouth),. Captain John Hindmarsh commissioned HMS Buffalo to transport free settlers to the new colony of South Australia [2]
HMS Buffalo was not only an important ship in the maritime history of South Australia. It also aided the British expansion into New South Wales, Tasmania, New Zealand, and Upper Canada. [2]
Frederick W.R. Sadler received gifts from the local Māori chief Titore in the Bay of Islands during one of HMS Buffalo’s trips to New Zealand. The gifts included a pin, a club, and an ornate Hei-tiki. These are all in the British Museum now. [2]
In January 1835, HMS Buffalo was paid-off and recommissioned. James Wood* then took command of the Buffalo. [2]
* (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”.) [3]
It departed from Portsmouth on 23rd July 1836, and sailed to South Australia carrying Captain John Hindmarsh and 176 colonists. Labouring emigrants were allowed a free passage to South Australia. It arrived in South Australian waters in December 1836. [2]
The Buffalo anchored in South Australia’s Holdfast Bay on 28th December 1836. Captain John Hindmarsh was to become the first Governor of the new colony of South Australia following the immediate reading of the proclamation ashore at Glenelg (on 28th December 1836). [2]
* (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.)
There were several marriages conducted by the Captain during the voyage. There were also a few burial-at-sea services and several births during the voyage. [2]
The voyage lasted for 158 days, during which time the ship encountered many different weather conditions, “from dead calm to severe storms and hurricanes”. [2]
There were nineteen Marines on board to keep order and they remained with Governor John Hindmarsh in the new colony. [2]
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. [2]
HMS Buffalo’s only sailed to South Australia the one time. It was later used mainly for transporting “convicts from England and Canada to the colony in New South Wales, and shipping timber from New Zealand back to England”. [2]
The Buffalo’s cargo of timber was usually tall kauri timber to be used as masts for other tall ships. [2]
Young Bingham Hutchinson’s drawing of HMS Buffalo
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.
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
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 Mark Polzer, Jeremy Green, Kurt Bennett, Rebecca Cox, John Mate, Robert Sexton, Peter Christopher, the late Doug Seton, Gus Hebblewhite, and Bill Jeffery for his 1986 preliminary report.
References:
[4] “HMS Buffalo” by Robert Sexton, April 1984, Australasian Maritime Historical Society
[8] “Report on survey of HMS Buffalo wreck site (1813-1840)” (permit number 1986/15) by maritime archaeologist Bill Jeffery (published in the Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, 12(2):43-45).
[10} “Quest of the H.M.S. Buffalo”, a video documentary written by Len Skinner and filmed, directed & produced by Brian G. Grant. The documentary was an official Jubilee 150 project. It features all of the expedition’s dive team. (Bill Jeffery is incorrectly listed as Bill Jeffries.)
UPDATE
Since writing the above details, further developments include: -
The HMS Buffalo Re-examination Project has produced a 3D model of the HMS Buffalo shipwreck. This means that anyone can now dive and explore the site. The 3D model was produced in association with New Zealand Geographic and Live Ocean Foundation. It can be found at https://skfb.ly/oHNNw .
The HMS Buffalo Re-examination Project says, “Our aim was to complete a detailed site survey to provide an accurate interpretation of the HMS Buffalo shipwreck site located in Whitianga, New Zealand. …. For the first time ever, you can now explore the shipwreck from bow to stern and from the comfort of your own home. You can read more (at) https://mercurybaymuseum.co.nz/hms-buffalo-digitally-preserved-and-displayed-for-the-first-time/?fbclid=IwAR04hl-ygw3bisY5nQdQigPt5vDYb6duuto-WE2yNsQ3J2S8koM2P7kNOGM .
Wendy van Duivenvoorde has written a paper titled “Report on the results of the semi-quantitative elemental analysis of the 'Buffalo' metal samples”. It can be found at https://www.academia.edu/81859009/_2021_Report_on_the_results_of_the_semi_quantitative_elemental_analysis_of_the_Buffalo_metal_samples?email_work_card=view-paper .
Comments