The Western Australian Museum is to receive a significant collection of artefacts recovered from four Dutch shipwrecks found off the Western Australian coast.

Until now the collections of the Zuytdorp (1712), Batavia (1629), Vergulde Draeck (1656) and the Zeewyk (1727) have been shared between the Netherlands and the Commonwealth Government as agreed under the Australian and Netherlands Committee on Old Dutch Shipwrecks (ANCODS) established in 1972.

The Government of the Netherlands made a decision in 2009 to gift Australia with its share of the artefacts and a formal hand over ceremony by His Excellency Mr Willem Andreae, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was held at the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) in Sydney yesterday evening.

The WA Museum will be custodians of the repatriated collection.

WA Museum chief executive officer Alec Coles said he was delighted the Museum was to receive part of the Netherlands collection.

“The Museum will use the collection to reflect the stories and history of the early Dutch explorers for the benefit of the public and the national and international science community as well,” Mr Coles said.

“Our ongoing research program into these shipwrecks is based around the Dutch shipwreck artefacts already in the State’s collection, including the original timbers from the wreck of the Batavia.

“The Museum is committed to provide access to this significant collection for people around the world.”

The collection that has been transferred to Australia includes building blocks, lead ingots, pottery, elephant tusks, cannon, canon balls, amber and pitch as well as rare objects owned by crew and passengers including navigational instruments and ornaments.

Media contact: Caroline Lacy on (08) 9212 3860 or 0414 381761.