THE Millicent National Trust Museum will urge visitors to delve further into the tragic story of the ill-fated Geltwood sailing ship by visiting a nearby gravesite.
The Geltwood was an iron hulled barque that shipwrecked 144 years ago on June 14 in 1876 during a storm on a rocky stretch of coast adjacent to modern-day Canunda National Park.
Only a few bodies from the shipwreck were found and the mortal remains of passenger James Nelson and three unknown sailors were interred in the first Millicent cemetery near the present-day Millicent Hospital.
Mr Nelson had been identified by his signet ring and the four graves are marked by a Celtic cross and a marble tablet.
The museum features one of the Geltwood anchors in its shipwreck room along with other relics from the wreck.
Millicent National Trust branch vice-chairman Noel Boyle said the final resting place of Mr Nelson and the three sailors was only 70 metres from the museum.
“We are looking to have a photograph of the graves placed next to the Geltwood anchor in the shipwreck room,” Mr Boyle said.
“This might encourage museum visitors to also look at the nearby graves.”
The Geltwood was nearing the completion of her maiden voyage from the English city of Liverpool bound for Melbourne when it struck a reef and sank.
Of the 31 passengers and crew, there were no survivors as all are presumed to have drowned.
It was not until a few weeks later the shipwreck became known to authorities and by then, much of its washed-up cargo had been looted.
Some of the goods were legally salvaged and sold at auction while some of the looters were put on trial.
The shipwreck lies a few hundred metres off Geltwood Beach and diving on it is restricted to only a few days each year.
Southend professional fisherman Lance Chambers re-discovered the shipwreck by chance in 1980.
A diving team organised by the Millicent National Trust and sanctioned by the State Government recovered a number of relics from the ocean’s floor including two anchors.
The other anchor is at a memorial lookout at Southend.
The maritime tragedy continues to be commemorated during various annual Millicent events.
