Thursday, March 17, 2005

 

Dive extends knowledge of convict-era jetties

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ABC News
March 16, 2005

An archaeological dive on the Tasman Peninsula in Tasmania's south has found the convict-built jetties in the area are much larger than previously thought.

Last month, South Australia's Flinders University carried out a two-week coastal survey, mapping eight convict jetties that were built to transport agricultural goods, timber and coal to Hobart and other penal colonies.

The university's maritime archaeology lecturer, Joe Flatman, says many of the piers and jetties are visible from land for a short distance but no-one knew just how far they extended out to sea.

"What the divers demonstrated was that these very often stretch many hundreds of metres out to sea, 500, 600, 700 metres out to sea sometimes," he said.

The data gathered in the dive will be used to develop a management plan for the area.


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