Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum

The Busselton Area Survey 2009 and 2011 and the finding of the Geffrard

Author/s J.N. Green

Year of publication 2011

Report Number: 283

Introduction
It is known from historical records that the American whaler Geffrard was lost on 12 June 1875 not far from Quindalup Jetty. Archdeacon’s map of the area in 1876 marks a wreck to the north-east of Quindalup Jetty (Figure 2). This report, firstly outlines the geophysical survey work carried out during the 2009 WA Museum Australian Leadership Awards Fellowship (ALAF) Placement (van Duivenvoorde, 2011). During this survey a magnetometer search was conducted in the area thought to be where the Geffrard was lost. Following the post-processing of the data at the end of the expedition, it was recognised that a site, not totally obvious during the survey, had been found. The report then discusses the 2011 expedition to the Busselton area to attempt to determine if the anomaly was the Geffrard and to investigate the other known sites in the area.