How The Seaworthy Batavia Became A Sunken Ship
It was June 4, 1629, when the Dutch East India Company flagship, Batavia, shipwrecked some 30 miles off Australia’s coast on Morning Reef near Beacon Island.
According to the Australian National Maritime Museum, the ship was destined for the colonies on modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia, carrying with it sailors and private travelers alike, including women and children.
Treacherous storms caused the Batavia to separate from the rest of its fleet, forcing it to cross the Indian Ocean alone. Hundreds of sailors were left to fend for themselves after running aground on the desolate Houtman Abrolhos islands.
Tensions between Commander Francisco Pelsaert and skipper Ariaen Jacobsz had already grown over the voyage, but only worsened on land, and deputy Jeronimus Cornelisz then conspired with Jacobsz to mutiny against Pelsaert.
WA MuseumAn illustration of the brutal massacre that followed the Batavia‘s crash.
Pelsaert, meanwhile, decided to take the ship’s longboat and risk his life to travel 1,800 miles to Batavia to find help. Cornelisz used Pelsaert’s absence to form his own kingdom. With no freshwater or food, everyone relied on the new dictator and his loyal men for survival. Unfortunately, Cornelisz confiscated all remaining rations, weapons, and rafts — and slaughtered most of the surviving crew.
Pelsaert miraculously arrived at Batavia 33 days later and arranged to have Jacbosz arrested for negligence. But when he returned to the island 63 days later, he found that Cornelisz had been the real threat all along.
Pelsaert returned to find nearly 125 men, women, and children of the voyage murdered.
WA MuseumThe Batavia is depicted here in Jan Janz 1647 edition of Ongeluckige Voyagie as it approached the Abrolhos islands.
The women had been raped and murdered and everyone else was either drowned in the ocean or had their throat cut at night. As punishment, Cornelisz had his hands cut off and was hanged for his crimes. The island is now fittingly known as Traitor’s Island.
The Batavia, meanwhile, was discovered in 1963 and helped to establish many of Australia’s heritage laws. It can now be seen on display at the Western Australian Museum in Fremantle.
