Maritime Archaeological Association of Western Australia - MAAWA

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Maritime Archaeological Association of Western Australia - MAAWA

MAAWA
Established in 1974

Our members represent the volunteer division of the Maritime Archaeology Department of the Western Australian Museum.

MAAWA
Dig | Dive | Discover

Maritime Archaeology Est 1974

•Passionate Preservation
•Dive Shipwrecks
•Research & Education
•Manage Underwater Heritage Sites

Guests Welcome

Shipwrecks Galleries, Fremantle, WA
www.maawa.net MAAWA members consist of a mix of divers, archaeologists, historians, and members of the general public who are all passionate about Western Australia's terrestrial and under

water maritime archaeology and heritage. We are primarily an archaeology association, not a diving club. While many of our members do dive, there are plenty of opportunities for research and fieldwork for people who do not dive. We carry out research into newly discovered and existing shipwrecks and we are authorized to carry out wreck inspections for the Museum. MAAWA was involved in placing the plaques at some of the wrecks at Rottnest Island. More recently MAAWA members have created an app called 'ShipwrecksWA' which has GPS locations, histories, and images of wrecks around the Western Australian coastline, Rottnest, and the Swan River. You can download the app from http://www.shipwreckswa.com

01/09/2026

Deadwater wreck mystery in Busselton lagoon baffles centuries on.
By Jon Daly - ABC Southwest

A small archaeological team scours the algal-green shoreline of a stagnant lagoon in Western Australia's South West.

They're searching for evidence of a mysterious ship that has been the subject of fevered speculation and unfounded theories for centuries.

The murky pool, known to Busselton locals as the Wonnerup Deadwater, sits off the side of the Wonnerup Inlet like an appendix.

In a moment of excitement, the underwater metal detector sings out, and one of the men dives his hands into the silt.

Read more here and well done IAN McCANN!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-29/deadwater-wreck-mystery-baffles-centuries-on/107050790

30/08/2026

Meet the committee... Today is IAN McCANN, the fellow beside him is Marcel, scroll back to the previous post on our MAAWA page to read about him.

Ian McCann has been a past president of MAAWA and his main focus is maritime and terrestrial archaeology in Vietnam.

Ongoing projects include investigating the maritime landscape of Quang Ngai in central Vietnam and a prehistoric burial site on Quan lan island in Northern Vietnam.

In Western Australia using side scan sonar and mini ROV's to locate and record submerged indigenous landscapes.

The next project is wooden fish-traps in the Swan and Serpentine Rivers.

He also is an extremely well respected and well liked active board member!

29/08/2026

Meet the Committee..
Today we'd love to introduce you to Ian McCann and Marcel Teschendorff

We will share about Ian tomorrow, today is MARCEL DAY!

Marcel is a Senior Archaeologist and Maritime Archaeologist with experience in cultural heritage assessment and management across Aboriginal, historical, and maritime heritage.

He has worked on a variety of archaeological field projects in Western Australia, including the excavation of the Yirra rock shelter site in the Pilbara, monitoring of earth-disturbance works at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fremantle Prison, and archaeological survey and site recording across the state.

Marcel has special expertise in underwater cultural heritage, particularly submerged landscapes, and has published peer-reviewed research on the deep-time archaeological potential of the submerged continental shelf off southwestern Australia in the Journal of Maritime Archaeology.

He is a super nice person too!

26/08/2026

MEMBERSHIP

Full Year is $45 single Membership
Full Year is $55 Family Membership
If you’re not a member, could you, would you join to support our work. If you are a member could you please pay your annual fee via https://www.maawa.net/memberships-page

YOU ROCK and THANK YOU!

IMPORTANT WHEN YOU REJOIN/JOIN PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBERS – THANKS!

We welcome new members throughout the year.
To make membership easy and fair, MAAWA memberships follows a 1st July to 30th June annual cycle.

Members joining from 1st January to 30th June can join for a half-year membership fee, with their next full annual membership renewal due on 1st July.

Members who join from 1st July to 31st December pay the full annual membership fee, which covers them until the following 30th June.

This system means everyone is aligned to the same membership year while allowing people to join whenever they are ready.

Your membership gives you access to a range of opportunities, including:
• Monthly meetings and presentations with like-minded members
• Social Meetings that are all about fellowship and connection
• Membership prices for merchandise, courses and some events
• Invitation to participation in maritime heritage projects and research activities
• Opportunities to dive on shipwreck sites and contribute to fieldwork
• Invitation to attend training and learning experiences in maritime archaeology
• Access to events, networking, and volunteer opportunities
• Being part of a community helping preserve Western Australia’s underwater cultural heritage
• A dedicated WhatsApp group, if the weathers good & a decision to “let’s go today and dive/dig” happens, you’ll be invited. This is members only.

JOIN HERE...
https://www.maawa.net/memberships-page

25/08/2026

OUR NEXT LOT OF SPEAKERS
Our meetings are always the 3rd Tuesday of the month.
SAVE THE DATES

Dr Trevor Winton our September Speaker
Illuminating shipwrecks and indigenous landscapes currently buried under the seabed.

Our October MAAWA Meeting.
Dr Corioli Souter | Head of Maritime Heritage
State/National UCH Legislation, UNESCO 2001 Convention, happenings with ICOMOS-ICUCH

Our November MAAWA Meeting is a TRIPLE TREAT!
Three of the most highly respected people in the industry!
Graeme Henderson | Patrick Baker | Trevor Winton

22/08/2026

The Georgette 150th Anniversary Photographic Exhibition

12–27 September 2026 ·
Daily 10am–5pm · Free admission
Margaret River Region Open Studios 2026

Read the STORY, the forgotten man, the shipwreck, the rescue and more...

https://exhibition.margies.app/story

“The vessel was seen going ashore by one of Mr Bussell's stockmen, and he and one of the Miss Bussells came down to us on the beach; it was a great relief to see them, for then we knew help was near.” — George Leake, 1877

Mark your diaries and head down to Margaret River, go for the exhibition but stay for the cheese and wine....

20/08/2026

Alex T. Brown (1917/05/29)
2 Miles North Yanchep

Alex T. Brown was a 788-ton, wooden 4-masted wooden schooner built by the Globe Construction Co. in Ballard, Puget Sound, Washington, USA.

Owned by the Pat Beakely Mill Co., USA and bound from Fremantle to Manila in ballast under Master Walter H. Meyers (or Myers), the schooner was blown ashore north of Perth during a gale about midnight on 29th May 1917.

The tug Wyola was dispatched to attempt to tow Alex T. Brown off the beach but could not approach close enough to assist, and despite numerous attempts by the captain and crew the Alex T. Brown was unable to be refloated.

Read More here.. https://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/wrecks/alex-t-brown

17/08/2026

are proud members of and a few of our committee will be at the conference.

Sharyn, our social media manager is a speaker on the Sunday, her topic...
Using Social Media to bring people back to Museums.

This is always a great weekend so BOOK In for some of it or all of it...

https://histwest.org.au/next-state-history-conference

Address

1 Mews Road
Fremantle, WA
6160

Website

http://www.maawa.net/

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