October 20, 2015
In 1597, a Portuguese caravel ran aground on Stradbroke Island while it was exploring the Australian coastline.
Its surviving crew members were taken in by the Island’s aborigines.
Some years later a handful of the shipwreck’s survivors managed to return to the Portuguese colony of Timor.
But through an accident of history their discovery of Australia was never officially recorded or recognised.
Instead, Captain Cook is credited with being the first European to discover the east coast of Australia.
This unusual tale – which may be true – forms the basis of “Ghost Galleon”, a new historical fiction novel based on the legend of the Stradbroke Island galleon.
“Ghost Galleon” was launched at the Wondai Regional Art Gallery last Friday.
The book’s author, retired teacher Errol Bishop, told the large number of assembled guests he first heard about the mysterious Stradbroke Island galleon when he was the principal of Macleay Island School in Moreton Bay.
When he looked into the matter, he found that sightings of a wrecked 30 metre galleon on Stradbroke Island had been reported by many reputable people from the 1860s right up to the mid-1930s.
Portuguese coins, a knife and other artifacts dating from the 16th century had been found on the island, too.
But the exact location of the wreck had been lost over time.
It is now thought to be buried in peat at the southern end of the Island’s near-inaccessible 18 Mile Swamp, or possibly buried underneath the sand.
But because the discovery of the wreck could rewrite Australia’s maritime history, the Stradbroke Island galleon continues to be the subject of ongoing research.
Errol said his book reimagines the voyage, the shipwreck and the arduous return to civilisation the sailors might have taken through what was – to European eyes – an unknown and alien landscape.
“The book took me about three months to write,” Errol said.
“But it took another two and a half years to refine the first draft, and that was the hardest part of the process.”
Ghost Galleon is published through Boolarong Press and Errol said he was surprised at how quickly the book made it to shelves.
“This is my first book and Boolarong Press have been very helpful,” he said.
“I’ve also had lots of positive feedback. People have been telling me they can’t put it down. It’s great.”
The new book can be ordered online for $24.99 plus postage through Boolarong Press’ website, and will also be available through many bookstores.
An except of the book’s first chapter can also be downloaded from Boolarong Press as a PDF.
