Sanyo Maru shipwreck exhibition at Live Darwin

Two people perished when the heavily overloaded Sanyo Maru sank in a storm during the height of Northern Territory’s burgeoning pearling industry.

It now sits 28 metres below sea level approximately 60 kilometres offshore from Maningrida.

Presented in partnership with the Department of Tourism and Culture, the exhibition runs for four weeks and forms part of a country-wide tour highlighting shipwrecks of national, regional and local importance.

Department of Tourism and Culture, Director Heritage, Michael Wells said every shipwreck holds many stories, and the Sanyo Maru is a poignant reminder of the NT’s rich pearling and seafaring industries of the 1930’s.

“Shipwrecks provide an incredible insight into lives past and lessons for the future. Motherships were a vital lifeline for pearling luggers in our seas, delivering food, fuel and necessities to ensure the continuity of pearling operations to keep up with supply,” Mr Wells said.

“Our flourishing pearling industry around this time was mainly mother-of-pearl, and was an important part of fashion, providing an aesthetic yet functional addition to clothes; namely making up buttons. This stunning organic composite material also features heavily in architecture, fashion, musical instruments, furniture and other decorative pieces from around this time.

“The pearling industry in Northern Australia was pioneered by Nick Paspaley Snr, and the Paspaley Group of companies has kindly supplied some beautiful mother-of-pearl shells for this exhibition, just like the ones that were collected by the Sanyo Maru in the 1930s.

The exhibition will also play the National Geographic and Paspaley Secret Life of Pearls – Journey of the Australian South Sea Pearl documentary.

SUBMERGED runs from Tuesday 3 April to 1 May 2018 inside the Live Darwin Hub in Smith Street Mall. The Hub is open 10am to 2pm Monday to Friday.