Shipwreck Databases Western Australian Museum

The Loss of the Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie Jacht VERGULDE DRAECK, Western Australia 1656

Author/s J.N. Green

Year of publication 1975

Report Number: 275

INTRODUCTION
The historical background to the VERGULDE DRAECK has been limited to the history of the ship itself, the events leading up to her loss in 1656, and attempts in the following years to save her people and salvage her goods.

Additional details of the voyage to the Indies have been drawn from the Journal of Gijsbert Heecq who sailed to the Indies in 1654 in the VEREENIGDE PROVINTIEN, narrowly missing the VERGULDE DRAECK at the Cape of Good Hope.

Since the Western Australian coast is far off the direct route from the Cape of Good Hope to the Indies, superficially it is perhaps surprising to find the VERGULDE DRAECK lost on this coast. However this related to the sailing instructions and navigation problems of the time which are dealt with briefly here.

No attempt, however, has been made to give a general history of the V.O.C. which is beyond the scope of this work. For further information on this see: Boxer (1965), Van Dam (1701), Davies (1961), De Klerk (1975), Sigmond and Zuiderbaan (1976), Stapel (1937), Valentijn (1724-26), etc.