Shipwrecks of the Southern Seas tells 15 fascinating stories — some iconic, many little known until now — of shipwreck, mutiny, piracy and marooning in the region of Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific, concentrating on stories from the age of sail and steam. Gripping, engaging storytelling is the key to this book. These stories cover the gamut of human emotion and character: survival, courage, cowardice and treachery, as well as humour, mystery and the absurd. Featured stories include the wreck of the Batavia in the Abrolhos in 1629; Eliza Fraser cast away among the aboriginal population on Fraser Island, Queensland in 1836; the wrecks on the subantarctic islands near New Zealand that left people stranded for years before discovery; and the tragic wreck of the Loch Ard, with only two survivors.
