Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976
Encyclopedia
The Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 is an Australian Act of Parliament
designed to legally protect historic shipwreck
s and any relics or artifacts from those wrecks. The Act automatically affects all shipwrecks that meet the 'historic' criteria (generally defined as vessels more than 75 years old, although newer ships with historic value may be placed under the Act) and are in Australian Commonwealth waters (between the low-tide
mark and the edge of the continental shelf
): complementary state and territory legislation protects shipwrecks in rivers and bays. Of the estimated 8,000 shipwrecks in Australian waters, more than 6,500 are protected under this legislation.
Most shipwrecks under the act can be accessed by the public, although no items may be removed from the wreck site without permission, and divers must take care not to damage or disturb the wreck. Any items removed from a protected wreck (including those removed before the Act came into effect) must be listed on a database maintained by the Federal department responsible for maintaining and preserving Australia's cultural heritage
(the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, as of 2007). As of 2011, over 500,000 artifacts and relics are listed and recognised.
21 shipwrecks are placed under an additional level of protection: an exclusion zone of up to 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) is placed around the wreck, and there can be no activities in or through this zone without formal permission. Anyone disturbing a protected shipwreck can be fined up to A$10,000, or imprisoned for a maximum of five years.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
designed to legally protect historic shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s and any relics or artifacts from those wrecks. The Act automatically affects all shipwrecks that meet the 'historic' criteria (generally defined as vessels more than 75 years old, although newer ships with historic value may be placed under the Act) and are in Australian Commonwealth waters (between the low-tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
mark and the edge of the continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
): complementary state and territory legislation protects shipwrecks in rivers and bays. Of the estimated 8,000 shipwrecks in Australian waters, more than 6,500 are protected under this legislation.
Most shipwrecks under the act can be accessed by the public, although no items may be removed from the wreck site without permission, and divers must take care not to damage or disturb the wreck. Any items removed from a protected wreck (including those removed before the Act came into effect) must be listed on a database maintained by the Federal department responsible for maintaining and preserving Australia's cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
(the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, as of 2007). As of 2011, over 500,000 artifacts and relics are listed and recognised.
21 shipwrecks are placed under an additional level of protection: an exclusion zone of up to 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) is placed around the wreck, and there can be no activities in or through this zone without formal permission. Anyone disturbing a protected shipwreck can be fined up to A$10,000, or imprisoned for a maximum of five years.