The Beginning
In 1857 the 800-tonne Dutch vessel, The King Willem II, completed its journey to Australia but never returned home. Anchored on the South Australian Limestone Coast, having just delivered 397 goldrush-bound Chinese passengers to shore, the ship was ripped from its mooring lines when a fierce storm blew up out of nowhere.
The Wreck
The captain set sail in an effort to beach the vessel but even after successfully grounding it, the storm proved too ferocious. Large seas swept over the ship, wrecking it completely.
The Tribute
The Vandenberg King Willem II Brand pays tribute to the twist of fate that shifted the course of history, beginning the Vandenberg story in Australia.
KING WILLEM II
The Vandenberg family story begins with a shipwreck over 150 years ago on South Australia’s Limestone Coast.
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