The Society for Underwater Historical Research (SUHR) was an amateur maritime archaeology organisation operating in South Australia (SA). It was formed in 1974 by recreational scuba divers and other persons to pursue an interest in maritime archaeology and maritime history. The SUHR was renamed as the South Australian Archaeology Society in March 2012 as part of a plan to expand its activities beyond maritime archaeology to include other archaeological disciplines.Reynolds, Steve; (2012) 'Club News' in "SDF News Sheet – June 2012" (Scuba Divers Federation of South Australia), archived from the original, retrieved 11/06/2012.

Origins The SUHR was founded in September 1974 by recreational scuba divers principally from the Underwater Explorers Club of South Australia (UEC) and occupational scuba divers from government agencies such as the South Australian Museum and the South Australian Police, as well as a number of individuals interested in maritime history.Brock, A.E., 1977, 'The Society for Underwater Historical Research of South Australia', In Green, J. (Ed.), 1977, Papers from the First Southern Hemisphere Conference on Maritime Archaeology, Perth, Western Australia, Oceans Society of Australia, Australian Sports Publications, Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 113–115.

The origin of the SUHR is due in part to the positive public response to the aftermath of a successful expedition in 1973 to locate and recover two anchors discarded during 1803 by whilst under the command of Matthew Flinders off the coast of what is now Western Australia.Brock, A.E., 1977, 'The Society for Underwater Historical Research of South Australia', In Green, J. (Ed.), 1977, Papers from the First Southern Hemisphere Conference on Maritime Archaeology, Perth, Western Australia, Oceans Society of Australia, Australian Sports Publications, Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 114. The recovery of the anchors and their connection to the voyage of HMS Investigator is commemorated in the inclusion of the best bower anchor and the outline of the Australian continent on the SUHR emblem.'Second Annual Report, September 1976', p.2, in Cowan, David (editor), (2007), The Society for Underwater Historical Research – Publications 1974–2004, Society for Underwater Historical Research, Port Adelaide, SA.

Organisation After its formation in 1974, the SUHR was initially managed by a committee consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and the following specialist officers – Research Officer, Registrar of Relics (added in 1976), an officer to liaise with the responsible part of the South Australian Government which was initially the South Australian Museum, and an officer to liaise with the South Australian Police Force (removed in 1978). By the late 1970s, it had evolved into a project-based organisation whose work consisted of activities such as planning, research, exploration, logistics, photography, survey and the publication of reports. Activities such as recovery and conservation, while historically significant, ceased to be carried out in the late 1980s except where permitted by archaeological practice.Cowan, David; (2007), 'About the SUHR', in Cowan, David (editor); (2007), The Society for Underwater Historical Research – Publications 1974–2004 , Society for Underwater Historical Research, Port Adelaide, SA. pages 9–14. In April 1982, a group within the membership who were unhappy with the increasing level of professionalization, resigned and founded a competing organisation known as the Nautical Archaeology Association of South Australia.'Letter to Society for Underwater Historical Research Committee' in the SUHR Newsletter for April 1982, Cowan, David (editor); (2007), The Society for Underwater Historical Research – Publications 1974–2004, Society for Underwater Historical Research, Port Adelaide, SA.'Minutes of the General Meeting held … on Tuesday 27 April 1982' in SUHR Newsletter for May 1982, Cowan, David (editor); (2007), The Society for Underwater Historical Research – Publications 1974–2004 , Society for Underwater Historical Research, Port Adelaide, SA. In 1999, after nearly a decade of stagnation, new life was breathed in the organisation via new funding opportunities and interest in membership from undergraduate and postgraduate archaeology students.Richards, N. & Lewczak, C., (2002), Back to the Bay: An overview of the Holdfast Bay Project 1974–2000 and the reinvigoration of avocational maritime archaeology in South Australia, Bulletin of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology Vol. 26, pp. 19–26.

Projects

The 1970s The SUHR’s first project was a survey ( including excavation of artefacts) of the remains of the Glenelg Jetty at Holdfast Bay which were destroyed by a storm in April 1948.Reschke, William; 'Treasure off Adelaide', The Sunday Mail (Adelaide, SA), 23 March 1975.Jeffery, B., 2003, South Australian Maritime Heritage Program 1970s – 2002 Projects, Activities and Bibliography, Heritage Branch, Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide, page 2. Loch Vennachar – discovery of the wreck site on the west coast of Kangaroo Island in 1976, a site survey and the recovery of some material in February 1977 followed by the recovery and conservation of an anchor in 1980.Christopher, P., (1979), 'The Loch Vennachar Expedition', Wreck Diving Seminar, Scuba Divers Federation of Victoria, pp. 51–55.Tilbrook, K., 'Divers recover relics from KI wreck', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 23 February 1977.Jeffery, W., 1980, 'Raising the Loch Vennachar anchor'. Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, 4:6–7Kentish, P. & Booth, B., 1983, Conservation of the Loch Vennachar anchor. Society for Underwater Historical Research. North Adelaide.

Morgan – recovery of artefacts from the River Murray immediately adjoining the wharf during the years 1977 to 1983.Marfleet, B., 1980, 'Morgan', Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, Vol. 4, pp. 7–14.Marfleet, B., 1983, Underwater Archaeology at the River Murray Port of Morgan, Proceedings of the Second Southern Hemisphere Conference on Maritime Archaeology, ed. Jeffery, W. & Amess, J., SA Department of Environment & Planning and Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs & Environment, Adelaide, SA, pp. 293–304.Marfleet, Brian, (2006), The Morgan Project, Society for Underwater Historical Research, Port Adelaide, SA. Star of Greece – a survey of the wreck site at Port Willunga during early 1978.Booth, B., 1978, 'Project: Star of Greece', SDFA Dive News, No. 2. Grecian – survey of the shipwreck located near North Haven including the recovery of some material during the years 1978 to 1980.Coleman, R., 1979, 'Society for Underwater Historical Research', Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, 2.1Mate, J., (1983), 'The Grecian Project', Proceedings of the Second Southern Hemisphere Conference on Maritime Archaeology, ed. Jeffery, W. & Amess, J., SA Department of Environment & Planning and Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs & Environment, Adelaide, SA, pp. 305–309. Santiago – survey of the abandoned hull near Port Adelaide during 1978.Jeffery, W.F.; (1978), 'Project: Santiago', Annual Report 1978, Society for Underwater Historical Research, North Adelaide, SA, pages 8–9.Jeffery, B., 2003, South Australian Maritime Heritage Program 1970s – 2002 Projects, Activities and Bibliography, Heritage Branch, Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide, page 12 Lady Kinnaird – the recovery of a large anchor from the wreck site near Port Neill during 1979 in response to a request from the local community, and its subsequent conservation and installation for public display in Port Neill in 1980.*

Norma – a survey of the wreck site located west of Semaphore during the period April to December 1979.Jacques, Phil: (1979), 'The Norma, Annual Report 1979, Society for Underwater Historical Research, North Adelaide, SA.

The 1980s An anchor found in Fishery Bay near Port Lincoln by an abalone diver was recovered by the SUHR and local divers during January 1981. It was then conserved with the intent of placing it on public display at 'Whaler’s Way', a privately owned nature reserve near the site where the anchor was originally found. The anchor is currently on display at the Axel Stenross Maritime Museum in Port Lincoln.'Whaler’s Anchor to be raised at Fishery Bay', Port Lincoln Times, 12 December 1980.Kentish, Peter; Drew, Terry & Booth, Brenton (1985), The Anchor – Fishery Bay, Eyre Peninsular, Society for Underwater Historical Research, North Adelaide, SA.'Axel Stenross Maritime Museum' at http://axelstenross.com.au/, retrieved 25 June 2012. Tigress – discovery of the shipwreck at Robinson Point south of Port Noarlunga in late 1981 and the subsequent recovery of artefacts from shipwreck site in early 1982.'Divers find old SA Shipwreck', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 28 October 1981Powell, B., & Jeffery, B., 1987, "A Catalogue of artefacts recovered during the rescue archaeology of the shipwreck Tigress", Bulletin of the Australian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, Vol. 11, pp. 47–59. Wardang Island – a survey carried out in early 1982 to locate and document the wreck sites of the following ships – SS Australian, MacIntyre, Monarch, Notre Dame D'Arvor, SS Investigator, , Songvaar, Moorara, and Maid of Australia. The strandings of the ships Candida, and Jean Bart were also studied.'Wardang ships resurface in book', The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 2 January 1984. – the unsuccessful search for the wreck site near Ardrossan during 1982 and 1983 up until its discovery by others in April 1983. The SUHR subsequently assisted on archaeology surveys during the three seasons of fieldwork conducted by the South Australian Government in the late 1980s.Jacques, Phil; (1983), 'The Zanoni Project', Newsletter June 1983 in Cowan, David (editor); (2007), The Society for Underwater Historical Research: Publications 1974–2004, Society for Underwater Historical Research, Port Adelaide, SA.Jeffery, B., 2003, South Australian Maritime Heritage Program 1970s – 2002 Projects, Activities and Bibliography, Heritage Branch, Department for Environment and Heritage, Adelaide, pages 20–21'Shipwreck becomes a Jubilee job', The Advertiser, 5 December 1985. – the discovery of the shipwreck in the River Murray near Blanchetown in 1982 followed by a survey project in 1984 in association with the South Australian Government and divers from the South Australian Police.'Team to dive on River Murray Mouth wreck' (sic), The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), 14 July 1983.Drew, Terry; (1983), 'Waterwitch' (sic), Annual Report 1983, Society for Underwater Historical Research, North Adelaide, SA, page 7.Jeffery, W.F. (principal author), (1987), The Water Witch Wrecksite, A Report on the Identification, Survey & Partial Recovery of the Wrecksite, Department of Environment & Planning, Adelaide SA. Cowrie (also spelt Cowry) – unsuccessful search for the wreck site near Yankalilla during 1987.'The Cowry', Annual Report 1987-88, Society for Underwater Historical Research, North Adelaide, SA Port Elliot – a survey carried out during 1987 and 1988 to locate and document the wreck sites of the following ships: Emu, Commodore, Josephine L'Oizeau, Lapwing, Harry, Flying Fish and Athol.Perkins, John; (1988), The Shipwrecks of Port Elliot 1853–1864, North Adelaide, SA. Margaret Brock Reef – a project conducted during 1987 to locate the wreck of the Margaret Brock on the Margaret Brock Reef near Kingston SE.Drew, Terry; (1987), 'Margaret Brock Reef Site Inspection', Annual Report 1987-88, Society for Underwater Historical Research, North Adelaide, SA.