"The Treasure Diver's Guide" by John S. Potter, Jr.,(copywright 1960/1972), presents a small amount of information on shipwrecks off the Northern coast of Australia:

1. One ship sank in the Torres Straight near Mer Island around 1840. Several white men made it ashore to Mer in a raft and carried an iron-bound chest which they took ashore and buried. Islanders killed and ate the survivors. Later, an old hourglass and silver coin were found on the beach of Mer. Gold and silver coins dated no later than 1833 were found on nearby Dowar Island. Another story was told of a shipwreck near Stephen Island and all of the survivors were again eaten by Islanders.

2. The Great Barrier Reef has claimed numerous ships and a number of books have probably been published on them.

3. The Long Island Wreck lies off the beach at Long Island, Queensland, and her wooden hull was visible up into the 1960's. Ther were reports of gold and silver coins being found in 1890 along the beach facing the wreck and in a shallow tide water pool.

The local libraries probably have locally written books that detail these old shipwrecks in more detail for your area of interest. Good luck with the hunt.

Roger