A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia?

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Garrett infinium

	A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « on: July 20, 2011, 12:15:58 AM »

One of my neighbours was an Aussie "coast watcher" on Timor during WW2 and can remember him telling me about a
treasure legend on the nearby Aru Islands. He has long passed on and has no living relatives. If i recall correctly it may well be 200-300years old! Has anyone information or thoughts on this?

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seldom

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	Re: A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « Reply #1 on: July 20, 2011, 10:40:08 AM »

The only treasure of any size around the Aru Island that I know of is the Flor do Mar. Use the search at top right of page we have some good info here about it.

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Garrett infinium

	Re: A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « Reply #2 on: July 20, 2011, 08:55:59 PM »

Thanks Seldom, Just read most of the "stuff" on the Flor Do Mar. Looks like there are lot's of very passionate post's. Lol
However that is in the Sumatra area, the old Kingdom of Aru! was there? According to research by Cornelius.
The one i heard about is in the Aru Islands between Australia and New Guinea, to the East of Timor.Passed down from "events" which occurred in the late 1600's or early 1700's. Such was his interest in what was passed on to him he spent 4-5 years soon after WW2 on the Aru Islands. Considering that he was a 'coast watcher", and certainly very heavily indebted to loyal locals, it is quite feasible that some may have come from the Aru Islands? Who knows what was told to him??? It may have even been possible that he spent time on the Aru Is. in his capacity as a "coast watcher"?
I can only recall him saying that he was "dropped" by Submarine on Timor and "taken" off by a PT boat!
Maybe someone has heard something more about the Aru Islands?
Hexhamation

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	Re: A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « Reply #3 on: August 03, 2011, 09:49:03 PM »

Getting to know a Coast Watcher is a treasure in itself. Lot's of allied sailors, airmen, marines and soldiers owe their lives to Coast Watchers. I haven't heard anything either, but I'll keep an eye open.

BA

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	Re: A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « Reply #4 on: August 03, 2011, 09:51:29 PM »

Interesting story here. I havent heard of this.

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Garrett infinium

	Re: A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « Reply #5 on: August 03, 2011, 11:54:36 PM »

BitburgAggie_7377, Thanks for your reply. I have been spending lot's of time trying to find out more. He was a "great neighbour".
Sadly his war experiences took their "toll" on him and when his wife died during the late 1960's, he went "downhill" and passed on in the 1970's. He had no living relatives and i can remember his belongings being "burnt" in the back yard, prior to the Public Trustee taking over his Estate!

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	Re: A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « Reply #6 on: August 04, 2011, 12:08:20 AM »

Hey Hex, I have come across some treasure tales from some of the Islands that are above Australia.
Its not to hard to imagine some of the old sea dogs getting caught up in the tropical storms and getting ship wrecked on the reefs. Also the natives probably weren't to friendly, and the survivors would end up in the pot! One tale is of a native idol made of turtle shells, supposed to be about 12 ft tall called Dogo or something similar. They would keep him hidden in a cave and bring him out for special occasions
Cool

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	Re: A treasure legend on the Aru Islands between New Guinea and Australia? « Reply #7 on: August 04, 2011, 01:09:49 AM »

Hello All

Hexhamation; the island group was settled by the dutch around 1623 from memory. They never really had full control over the islands. from around 1885 to about 1917 there was push to rid themselves of foreigners from the island. the Island did for a time have a golden age in trading but nothing on the scale of Batvia or other Dutch East Indies outposts of the time.

The main trading was around coconuts, Sea Cucumber (trepang ) what it looks like is what it tastes like Grin

. If there any shipwrecks in the area I would be suprised if there any shipwrecks of monetary value there.

Goldnboy: The Torres strait to the east was often vaunted as shipping lane for the Spanish from South America, the fact on the matter it was not. The dutch had no trading colonies east of it and had very little interest in it also.The British used the strait from east to west as a short cut from Australia to Singapore Hong Kong etc..

There is treasures to be found in the Torres strait dating from the 19th century. The idol you mention was allegely found on Stephans Island in the Murray island group. Most wrecks in the area are 19th century british shipwrecks.

Hardluck

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