The Last New Guinea Salvage Pirate

The Last New Guinea Salvage Pirate tells the remarkable true story of the legal post war salvage of shipwrecks and treasure in New Guinea and the Philippines during the late 60’s and 70’s.


Salvage divers worked to incredible depths (which often exceeded 300ft) and did so using only compressed air, a feat frowned upon by recreational and salvage divers in todays work-safe environment. Furthermore all demolition work was carried out using highly volatile nitroglycerine based explosives which have not been available in Australia since the early 1980’s


This book gives a personal account of the constant danger, ongoing problems, delays, and equipment failure during expeditions which frequently included encounters with sharks, in the water and on land! It chronicles the determination and fierce rivalry between salvers, the risks and gains, the close calls with death in precarious and often very remote locations. It tells of courage and stupidity, of risk and reward.


No book has ever been written about these remarkable years where the riches of successful salvage were up for grabs by the most determined salver and his team. The book also offers divers and shipwreck researchers a comprehensive shipwreck reference of all mown and disable wrecks in new Guinea. Even if you have never seen the dark shadow of a shipwreck beneath the sea, this book will astound you.