Fleurieu Shipwrecks is a record of many of the shipwrecks that occurred along the Fleurieu coast from 1836 to the early twentieth century. The people of the Fleurieu Peninsula relied on sail-and later steam-powered-vessels to transport themselves, livestock, produce, and freight to and from the many small coastal communities. From Port Noarlunga to Port Elliot, these vessels connected the region's inhabitants to the rest of Australia and the wider world. From the loss of the South Australian at Rosetta Head, the colony's first officially recorded shipwreck, to the most infamous wreck, the iron clipper Star of Greece at Port Willunga, the area possesses a rich and varied nautical history. Not every wreck resulted in a total loss; many vessels were repaired and went on to have long and varied careers. The story of each vessel is also the story of the people connected to its building, operation, and wrecking. Many lives once lost to history are brought back to life. Fleurieu Shipwrecks is as much a social history of South Australia as it is a record of accidents, resilience, life, and loss. Vessels included in the book are Adonis, Agenora, Albatross, Alice Martin, Alpha, Arrow, Atholl, Commodore, Cowry, Dart, David Witton, Eclair, Emu, Expert, Flying Fish, Glenelg, Good Intent, Grenada, Guldax, Harry, Henry & Mary, Ida, Industry, John Pirie, Josephine L'Oiseau, Lady Fergusson, Lapwing, Lord Roberts, Lurline, Maid of the Valley, Man-Hou, Mary, Mary Grant, Nashwauk, O.G., Oriana, Polly, Ranger, Rose, Sans Pareille, South Australian, Solway, SS Ellen, SS Sorata, St Vincent, Swordfish, Thistle, Tigress, Trader, Unknown, Vanquish, Wanderer, and William.
Simpson, Paul W.: - Paul Simpson was born in the Mid North of South Australia and grew up on Kangaroo Island, where tall ships, shipwrecks, and whaling were still part of the collective living memory, and where the last sailing ketches remained part of everyday life. An English teacher with over 30 years' experience, Paul is the author of a number of books on 19th- and 20th-century maritime history. His book Windjammer was written after he was invited to conduct research as part of an archaeological search on Kangaroo Island for the graves and wreck of the lost clipper ship Loch Sloy. His book Star of Greece helped to rewrite the story of the wreck of the Irish clipper ship of the same name. It also assisted in raising funds in support of the Willunga branch of the National Trust of South Australia for the dedication of a plaque-revealing for the first time the names of all t Paul's books have been published in several countries and can be found in maritime museums and libraries in Australia, Britain, Ireland, France, Germany, Canada and the USA. Paul grew up on Kangaroo Island, one of the last places where square-rigged ketches sailed commercially, and where tales of shipwrecks are part of local folklore. He has spent the last decade researching and writing books about 19th-century sailing ships and the people who sailed them. When not trawling through old books and musty newspaper archives, he can be found combing windswept beaches for treasures with his daughter, and fellow adventurer.
