The Coral Sea is steeped in maritime history with stories of adversity and survival.
The name Coral Sea was first coined by Captain Matthew Flinders, RN in his journal in1803. Flinders explored the Coral Sea islands and the Great Barrier Reef on more than one occasion, in search of a navigable channel through the reefs to the open sea.
In August 1803, his ship the Porpoise was shipwrecked along with an accompanying vessel, the Cato, on a reef that he named Wreck Reef.
All but three sailors survived, but were shipwrecked and so Flinders and thirteen fellow crewmen rowed more than 1,000 km back to Sydney in the ship's cutter.
Flinders returned six weeks later in the Cumberland with two accompanying vessels to rescue the 80 sailors.
The waters of the Coral Sea first became a target during World War I, when the German East Asiatic Cruiser Squadron became a threat to Australia.
However, the presence of the Royal Australia Navy's powerful battle cruiser HMAS Australia, thwarted plans to disrupt shipping and left Australian maritime forces in control of the Coral Sea.
World War II brought the Coral Sea once again into the forefront as a Japanese operation to occupy Port Moresby became imminent by late April of 1942 and American and Australian forces worked together to stop this affront on Australia's northern shores.
The events that followed became the first great naval action between aircraft carriers. By the end, the Japanese sunk more ships than they lost, but Allies prevented Japanese from occupying Port Moresby and reduced enemy forces.
The USS Lexington sunk in what was to become Australian waters on the 8th of May, losing 216 of her crew.
This battle, known as the Battle of the Coral Sea, marks the nearest approach of hostile forces to the Australian coastline and is considered a turning point for the Allies in WWII.
It also marks a foundation point for a long-standing partnership between the United States and Australia.
There are 104 known shipwrecks in the Australian waters of the Coral Sea though only eight of these have been located. Today the Coral Sea remains a hub of shipping activity with five active shipping lanes traversing these waters.
The Coral Sea has a rich military and civic maritime history. This, along with the wealth of natural values of the area, makes it a truly iconic region and a part of Australian Heritage.
I was lucky enough to spend an unforgettable 5 weeks in the Coral Sea recently for work. Imagine long sandy beaches, brilliant blue water, amazing diving...
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