Australia was, and arguable still is, one of the world’s leaders in maritime archaeology, a discipline that uses scientific methods to study the material culture associated with humankinds’ interaction with the sea, its coastlines and associated waterways.

In this somewhat personal presentation Kieran will give a brief introduction to what is maritime archaeology, illustrated by some of the projects that he has been actively involved in for almost 40 years including the hunt for Cook’s Endeavour in Newport, Rhode Island; the excavation of HMS Pandora, associated with the famous Mutiny on the Bounty, and the quest to protect HMAS Perth from illegal salvage operations in Indonesia. He will then discuss the reasoning behind the discipline’s existence and provide examples of some of the benefits the discipline brings to everyday Australians.

Bio.

Kieran started diving in Western Australia way back in 1976 and after a few years of mucking around on shipwrecks joined the Maritime Archaeological Association of Western Australia in order to try and make sense of what he saw on the seabed. His love of diving and history made him first pursue a graduate degree in history and anthropology from the Western Australian Institute of Technology followed a few years later by a post graduate diploma in maritime archaeology from Curtin University also in Western Australia.

He was Commonwealth Historic Shipwrecks Officer in Victoria for six years before coming to the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) in 1994 to take up the position of Curator of Maritime Archaeology and Ship Technology. At the Museum he was responsible for the Museum’s maritime archaeology program as well as curating the Museum’s collection relating to convicts, 19th century migrants and ship technology. His expertise in convict related material was further enhanced, when he was appointed as Curator / Manager of Hyde Park Barracks Museum for 3 years where he developed exhibitions on the history and archaeology of convict sites.

In 2007 he returned to the Australian National Maritime Museum to take up the position of Manager - Maritime Archaeology Program, and then Acting Manager of Curatorial and Research before becoming Manager of the Barangaroo Boat Reconstruction Project. 

In April 2025 he resigned from the ANMM and established Hosty Heritage and Archaeology - a consulting company specialising in maritime archaeology, heritage asset management, conservation and significance assessments, conservation management plans and museum exhibition development and implementation.

In August 2025 he founded Heritage Hikes Australia which provides bespoke part day, single day, and multiday bushwalking , hiking and camping experiences that provide a unique focus on historical (post-contact) archaeology and historical interpretation of European / Colonial heritage sites in New South Wales with an emphasis on Blue Mountains (Dark’s Cave), Dharug (Devines Hill, Finchs Line), Wollemi (Newnes Historic Site) and Kosciuszko (Mountain Huts) National Parks. 

He has worked on many maritime archaeological projects both in Australia and overseas including the survey and excavation of the Sydney Cove (1797), HMS Pandora (1791), HMCS Mermaid (1829) and HMAS Perth (1941) and the hunt for Cook’s Endeavour in the USA.

He is the author of several published books including Dunbar 1857: Disaster on our doorstep along with two children’s books on Australian convicts and 19th century migrants published by McMillan.

Image: courtesy Queensland Museum

Contact the host of Maritime Archaeology Out of the depths and into museums – wrecks, relics and the occasional bit of drama. Kieran Hosty, Hosty Heritage and Archaeology.