A diver swims down through deep blue water towards the anchor of a sunken ship

 

 

Batavia 1629 National Heritage Listed Place Guide

 

 

Published

Last Updated

Batavia 1629: National Heritage Listed Place Guide is a free guide to the fascinating history and archaeology of the Dutch East India Company ship, Batavia, which wrecked in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands in 1629. 

The enhanced e-book uses photos, 3D models, animations, audiovisual content, and interactive timelines to tell the story of Batavia’s first and final voyage, and the aftermath of mutiny and massacre, alongside a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the WA Museum’s fieldwork and research conducted over the last 50 years. 

Key excavations, collections and research are highlighted throughout, bringing one of the world's largest collections of VOC material out from the Museum’s galleries and back to their place of discovery. 

This internationally significant and national heritage listed place is now part of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands National Park.

 

Content warning

The Batavia story contains accounts of violence and cruelty (including murder, sexual assault, torture and execution), which readers may find distressing.

Content related to the discovery of Batavia and the subsequent archaeological work includes photographs and a 3D model of human skeletal remains.

 

 

How to read Batavia 1629

Batavia 1629 is only available from the WA Museum website. Options for reading the e-book are outlined below. 

EPUB download

Read Batavia 1629 offline using Apple Books (available on iPads and Mac computers). See Download and setup for technical specifications. The file download is 932.84 MB. 

Download the EPUB

Online

Read Batavia 1629 online using Chrome or Safari web browsers. This version is recommended for Android tablets and desktop or laptop computers with internet access and is accessible to screen readers.

Read online now

About enhanced e-books

Enhanced e-books like Batavia 1629 offer a different reading experience to standard e-books. Pages may contain text, image carousels, audio, or video. Relevant stories and information are often linked directly from the main pages, offering readers a choice on the way they engage with the stories. Batavia 1629 can be read sequentially from start to finish, or in an order chosen by the reader using the interactive contents page.

Please note, this enhanced e-book is not compatible with e-ink e-readers such as Kindle or Kobo.

Departments

Maritime Heritage

Keywords

Batavia
Waves

 

Download and setup in Apple Books

An internet connection is required for the initial setup but is not needed once Batavia 1629 is imported into Apple Books.

iPad

Requirements

To read Batavia 1629 offline, you will need:

  • An iPad
  • The Apple Books app installed
  • Internet connection (for setup only)

The EPUB file is 932.84 MB. A secure internet connection is recommended for setup.

Setup instructions

On the iPad:

  1. In a web browser, download the Batavia 1629 EPUB file (932.84 MB) from the WA Museum website.
  2. Once the download is complete a window will pop up with a link ‘Open in…’. Press the link.
  3. Select Open in Books from the window that opens. It may take a few moments to import into Books.
  4. In Books, press the cover to begin reading.

Once Batavia 1629 is in Apple Books, it can be read anytime without an internet connection.

You can also get the e-book on to an iPad by first importing it to Apple Books on a Mac computer and then syncing your iPad. Please see the instructions below for setting up the e-book on a Mac computer and refer to Apple support if you are unsure how to sync your devices.

Mac computer

Requirements

To read Batavia 1629 offline, you will need:

  • A Mac computer
  • Apple Books app installed 
  • Internet connection (for setup only)

The EPUB file is 932.84 MB. A secure internet connection is recommended for setup.

Setup instructions

On the Mac computer:

  1. In a web browser, download the Batavia 1629 EPUB file (932.84 MB) from the WA Museum website to your Downloads folder.
  2. Open Books. If you haven’t used it before, you can find it through Launchpad.
  3. Import the EPUB file to Books by either:
    1. Dragging and dropping the file from Downloads to Books, or
    2. In Books, click File and then Import on the dropdown menu. Select the file from your Downloads folder and press Import. It may take a few moments to import.
  4. In Books, click to cover to begin reading.

Once Batavia 1629 is in Apple Books, it can be read anytime without an internet connection.


 

A diver underwater at a shipwreck site examines a pottery jug.
Diver recovering a beardman jug from the Batavia wreck site, 1973
WA Museum, BT/A/133
A diver photographs an underwater shipwreck.
Photographing the stern section of the Batavia timbers underwater, 1975.
WA Museum, BT/A/740
An underwater photograph of a shipwreck's anchor resting on a reef.
One of Batavia’s anchors that can still be seen on Morning Reef.
WA Museum, BT/A/1047
An aerial photograph of ocean waves.
Aerial view of Morning Reef and the sand hole left by the excavation of Batavia’s timbers, 2021.
I. Brodie
Stone archway in a gallery with displays in the background.
Batavia portico reconstructed at the Museum of Geraldton, 2022
I. Brodie
Reconstructed timber hull section and stone archway.
Reconstructed Batavia hull section and replica portico on display in the Batavia gallery at the WA Shipwrecks Museum
WA Museum
Archaeologists working on an excavation site near the ocean.
Excavation on Beacon Island, 2016.
University of Western Australia | WA Museum
Archaeologists sifting sand at an excavation site near the ocean.
Archaeologists sieving sand from around a burial site on Beacon Island, looking for small artefacts, 2017.
University of Western Australia | WA Museum
People working together to move sandstone blocks from a boat onto a dock.
Moving the recovered sandstone blocks from the work boat to Beacon Island, 1973.
WA Museum, BT/B/305

 

Want to learn more?

Places to visit:

Additional resources:

 

 

Australian Government

 

The Batavia 1629: National Heritage Listed Place Guide has been supported through funding from the Australian Government.

The WA Museum welcomes your feedback on the Batavia 1629: National Heritage Listed Place Guide.

Please submit your feedback using our online customer feedback form.