Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database facts for kids
The Australasian Underwater Cultural Heritage Database (AUCHD) is an amazing online collection of information. It's like a giant digital library for everything found underwater that tells us about the past! This includes old shipwrecks, aircraft that crashed into the water, and other important historical items.
The AUCHD helps protect these special underwater treasures. It used to be called the Australian National Shipwreck Database (ANSDB). This first version was created in December 2009 by the Australasian Institute of Maritime Archaeology. Over time, it grew to include much more than just shipwrecks. The database is now looked after by the Australian Government, specifically the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment.
What Can You Find in the AUCHD?
The AUCHD holds lots of details about objects found in the waters around Oceania and Southeast Asia. It's a fantastic resource for learning about history!
Discovering Underwater History
- You can find pictures of shipwrecks and other items.
- It links shipwrecks to the amazing artefacts that have been found near them.
- There's information for divers and people who manage these underwater sites.
- You can even find details about the passengers and crew from old ships.
- The database also shares technical facts and the full history of the ships.
You can search for information in many ways. For example, you can look up specific people, places, or even themes like "gold rush ships."
Helping Researchers and the Public
The AUCHD is also a special register for the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018. This law helps protect underwater historical sites.
- The database allows people to report new discoveries.
- It also lets them apply for permits if they need to work near or study these protected sites.
- This law makes sure that shipwrecks, sunken aircraft, and other underwater heritage items are kept safe for everyone to learn from.
The Australian Government works together with the different States, the Northern Territory, and Norfolk Island to manage this important database and protect our underwater heritage.
