Overview

• The shipwreck was located 400 meters offshore in Guichen Bay, near Robe, South Australia, in shallow waters with poor visibility.
• Iron windlass components and magnetometer anomalies consistent with the ship's dimensions confirmed its identity in March 2025.
• The Koning Willem de Tweede sank during a severe storm in June 1857, resulting in the loss of 16 crew members while 400 Chinese miners had already disembarked.
• The discovery highlights the ship's role in migration history, as Chinese miners used Robe as a landing point to bypass Victorian immigration taxes.
• Researchers plan to return to the site to document its condition, assess buried sections, and ensure its preservation as a protected historic wreck.