Victoria Settlement was a fortified outpost designed to ward off rival colonial powers (namely the Dutch and French), with ambitious plans to establish trade routes with South East Asia and China and become a thriving commercial hub. Since at least 1700, the Arnhem Land coast had been visited by fleets of Makassan traders (from modern-day Indonesia), who sourced trepang (sea cucumber) from its waters and sold it to China, where it was prized as a delicacy and aphrodisiac. Sensing an opportunity, the British dropped anchor. They boldly envisaged Victoria Settlement would one day become a “second Singapore”, but the modest surviving ruins tell a different story – crumbling walls and Cornish style chimneys, foundations marred by weeds and scattered bricks, a handful of weathered tombs keeping vigil among unmarked graves.
This story is from the January-February 2024 edition of Australian Geographic Magazine.
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This story is from the January-February 2024 edition of Australian Geographic Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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