Australians To See Brunei’s Sunken Treasure

Bandar Seri Begawan – Brunei history will take centre stage at an Australian Arts Exhibition later this year when sunken treasures found in a shipwreck off the coast of Brunei will be featured at the event.

The exhibition of Brunei's treasure is under the patronage of the government of His Majesty Sultan of Brunei.

The exhibition is organised by the Art Exhibitions Australia Limited with the cooperation of the Brunei Museums and the event's major sponsor, BHP Biliton.

The government of His Majesty signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the organisers of the exhibition yesterday morning.

Awang Haji Matassim Haji Jibah Director of Brunei Museums represented Brunei while Ms. Carol Henry its Chief Executive, represented the Art Exhibitions Australia Limited.

Present at the ceremony were the Acting Permanent Secretaries at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture Youth And Sports, Awang Haji Abdul Hamid Bin Haji Jaafar and Haji Khalid Bin Haji Ghazali and Mr Allister Cox the Australian High Commissioner to Brunei.

The exhibition entitled "Lost for 500 years - Sunken treasures of Brunei Darussalam an Underwater Archaeological Adventure" will be held at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney from December 16, 2003 to April 27, 2004 before moving on to the National Museum Canberra from May 20, 2004 to July 18, 2004.

Its final display will be held at the new Maritime Museum in Fremantle, Western Australia from August 11, 2004 to November 14, 2004.

The exhibition will feature various archaeological artefacts found in a sunken ship off Brunei coast.

The ship was discovered in May 1997 by the then French Oil Company Totalfina Elf.

Excavation work on the wreck was carried out a year later.

The joint archaeological expedition involved experts from Brunei and France.

The ten-week long operation unearthed some 15,000 artefacts. -- Courtesy of Radio Television Brunei 

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