The Batavia, a magnificent ship of the Dutch East India Company, embarked on its maiden voyage in 1628, bound for the exotic riches of the East Indies. Commanded by Francisco Pelsaert, the ship carried a mix of crew, soldiers, and passengers. In the small hours of June 4, 1629, the Batavia smashed into Morning Reef, just off the Houtman Abrolhos, an island chain 60 kilometers west of what is now Geraldton in Western Australia.

The ship was wrecked, leaving the survivors stranded on desolate islets with scant resources and no immediate hope of rescue. The isolated group faced an uncertain fate under the blistering sun and in the grip of unforgiving elements. In the aftermath of the wreck, the true horror began to unfold. Jeronimus Cornelisz, the ship’s undermerchant, seized the opportunity to stage a mutiny. Driven by greed and a lust for power, he led a band of cutthroats in a reign of terror, systematically murdering men, women, and children to conserve dwindling supplies.

Meanwhile, Pelsaert, unaware of the atrocities, had bravely set out in a small boat to seek help from Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies. He returned weeks later with a rescue party, only to discover the gruesome carnage. The Batavia’s treasures and survivors were recovered. Justice was swiftly meted out as the mutineers were captured, tried, and executed on the spot. The wreck of the Batavia remains a chilling tale of survival, betrayal, and the darker facets of human nature, echoing through the annals of maritime history.

Voyage to Disaster’s explores the central characters and key events in the wrecking of the Batavia – an infamous part of Western Australian history. These stories are based on Batavia’s Captain Pelsart’s own journals.

I have a deep fascination with the coasts shipwreck history. This collection speaks to my past curatorial projects, collaborations with artists, museums and social historians to trace maritime archaeology and contemporary yachting history.

It reflects on a larger body of artwork and jewellery I have been exploring over the past almost 3 years – the act of mapping through uncharted waters during my post injury healing journey.

 Voyage to Disaster is a nod to Henrietta Drake-Brockman‘s meticulously researched book of the same title.

Inspired by nautical and charting instruments, it explores skipper Ariaen Jacobsz’s perhaps mutinously intentional, miscalculation that wrecked the flagship Batavia on the Abhrolos islands on her maiden voyage, and hints at the carnage to follow.

It explores the maritime astrolabe, kinetic instruments, time pieces, and the treasure laden on the ship.

Stylistically, this design echoes my bolder pre-Jewellers Academy styles. It also nods to my own health journey through ‘uncharted waters’.

Undermerchant Jerinoums Cornelis, on escaping the bones of the wreck, declared himself ‘Captain General’ of the islands. Bedecked with the Company’s jewels and robes, and unencumbered of morals, he wielded his murderous and mutinous intent on the survivors, through psychological manipulation, crazed blood lust and promised glories.

This ring explores signals of power, and the a stark, almost absurd contrast of treasure against the barren desolation of the shipwreck.

It imagines 400 years of growth of coral, musket balls and pearls fusing together. The large green claw set chalcedony hints at emeralds and reflects tonal light, mirroring turbulent reefs, into the hull shaped form, reminiscent of the crumbling Batavia wreck. Red and white gemstones link to the chests of treasures. Rounded forms echo the local pearl production, and musket balls found strewn on the islands.

Aboard the Batavia were treasure chests of bullion, ‘large pearls large and fine emeralds sapphires rubies and balas rubies’. Cornelius, attempted to woo the beautiful Lucritetta with gifts to become his concubine – initially by choice.

In these stacking rings, I imagine these trinkets, gifted by a psychopath with attempt to ‘win’ over his object of desire – in place of safety, water and benevolent governance.

I try to create a tension of materials and form – treasures of gold and pearls, against the granulated musket balls, the surrounding reef upon which the Batavia struck, and textures of time. The rings speak to Lucritetta’s survival, entrapment and her notable resilience.

When designing and creating, I dance between concept and material play.

In conceptual based development, the idea is paramount. I create a number of rough sketches based on my thought based response, and work out the technical requirements on paper. These would include varied side, top and below views. Further technical considerations emerge as the components are build, which require maquettes to be built. ABRE OS OLHOS and RINGLEADER are examples of a visualised concept, resolved largely in part prior to making. This is my method for creating visual art, curation and design projects.

Previously, making jewellery was freeform play to me. I would approach time on the bench as I would drawing – only allowing the movement of materials and flow of the act of creating to carry my work forwards. Initially BLOOD LUST was to be very structured. A few stacking rings were made based on technical ideas of wreck plumage and treasures – but they lacked the rawness, the tension between danger and beauty and the echoes of time. These rings may be somewhat loose, but they symbolise the approach I want, which is how to bring technical acumen to my sense of fleeting abandon.

I have maintained an organically textured and nautically aged feel in all pieces, linking their disparate characters.

In Voyage to Disaster, it is envisioned that over 20 items would be produced, addressing a person or situation in the saga; with each being a one off piece, and be a mixture of jewellery and semi-functional items. I see them displayed in an art exhibition with historical and didactic references and footage of recent archaeological discoveries.

From this, I can see new sets of works evolving, more on the ready to wear, less bombastic scale.