In the silty blue water off Indonesia, the final resting place of one of Australia’s most revered warships lies 20 to 30 metres below the surface. A fight to resist marine tourism there is now under way | ChrisBarrett_
Deep in Indonesia’s Banten Bay, HMAS Perth does not come into view all at once but reveals itself slowly.
The area around HMAS Perth’s remains is a protected maritime zone, Indonesia’s first, a designation made after Hosty’s team and their Indonesian counterparts made theFamilies of those who were on board were left angry and upset by the finding, knowing that according to historians’ estimates, between 40 and 60 crew had been trapped in sealed compartments of the Allied cruiser when it went down.
The Indonesian government and Banten provincial authority have vowed to continue patrolling the area to safeguard the wreck from further looting but want to open up another revenue stream for the local community, including up to 5000 people on the nearby island of Panjang who live largely off fishing.That is being met with opposition by family members of those who served on HMAS Perth.
HMAS Perth made a storied contribution to the World War II effort, helping evacuate soldiers from Greece and Crete, where it lost 13 men under relentless bombardment from German aircraft bombing. It also supported the battle against the Vichy French in Syria with naval gunfire.Louise Kennerley/Supplied
Schwarz also raises safety issues with diving in the area, noting hazardous netting around the hulls and oil seepage from other vessels passing through the shipping lane as well as the poor visibility and currents. Kieran Hosty and Irini Malliaros of Silentworld Foundation examine the starboard side of HMAS Perth’s hull in 26 metres of water.“I do know from talking to some of the families of those men who lost their lives on Perth that they don’t want the site open to divers. They prefer the site closed off permanently,” he said.
“This technical arrangement will form the basis of future interactions with the Indonesian government around sites such as HMAS Perth,” the spokesperson said.