Local filmmaker Lyndal Redman has created a documentary about the Geltwood, a 150-year-old shipwreck off South Australia's south-east coast that was lost in June 1876. The wreck was not found until the 1980s and was initially accused of being looted by local divers who recovered artefacts from the site. The documentary features interviews with people connected to the wreck, including Redman herself whose father dived on the wreck and helped recover artefacts. Screenings are being held in various Limestone Coast towns as part of the documentary's release.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
In short:
Just over 150 years have passed since the Geltwood met its demise off SA's south-east coast.
asserted
Geltwood → pass → coast
A former local has told the story of the Geltwood and the finding of its wreck in the 1980s in a documentary.
asserted
local → tell → documentary
Director Lyndal Redman is showing the documentary at screenings in various Limestone Coast towns.
asserted
Redman → show → towns
It has been 150 years since she was wrecked off SA's south-east coast, but the story of the Geltwood is still being told.
asserted
story → wreck → Geltwood
The ship came to grief in June 1876 in a storm, described at the time as a hurricane, hit on its maiden voyage from England.
asserted
ship → come → England
The 31 passengers and crew aboard were presumed to have drowned.
asserted
passengers → presume → ?
The wreck was not found until the 1980s and, more than 40 years later, former local Lyndal Redman brings the tale to the screen.
asserted
Redman → find → screen
Her father Kym dived on the wreck and used his boat to help recover artefacts from the ship.
asserted
father → dive → ship
"I stumbled across some amazing footage that my dad had filmed back in the 80s," she said.
"
asserted
she → stumble → 80s
I just knew that I needed to do something with it to preserve the story of the Geltwood."
asserted
I → know → Geltwood
Millicent local Lisa Braes, who provided historical background on the wreck for the documentary, said while many people knew of the Geltwood, they did not know much about it.
asserted
they → provide → it
She said because of significant looting and auctioning of parts of the wreck that washed ashore in 1876, artefacts had found their way into many people's lives.
asserted
artefacts → say → lives
"So many local people have been touched by the story," she said.
asserted
she → touch → story
"Because of those looters, many people have got wood from the Geltwood in their shearing shed or in the farmhouse."
Ms Redman said the controversy, and her familial link, made it a quick documentary to put together.
asserted
it → get → farmhouse
"I knew there was such history and such shame around it because [of] the looting that happened," she said.
asserted
she → know → looting
"I knew so much about the Geltwood already that it was quite an easy process for me."
asserted
it → know → me
Among the people telling the story of the Geltwood was Rendelsham's Brian Foster, whose father-in-law Mick Galpin discovered the wreck.
"
asserted
Galpin → tell → wreck
I went down with Mick to have a look at it, just using conventional scuba gear," he said.
asserted
he → go → gear
"Everyone had heard about the Geltwood Beach, but that was basically all I knew.
asserted
I → hear → Beach
"
Preserving, not looting
The divers brought up artefacts from the wreck, many of which are still on display at museums in Millicent and Beachport on the Limestone Coast.
asserted
many → preserve → Coast
"The local divers were also accused by the Adelaide media of looting the ship," Ms Braes said.
"
asserted
Braes → accuse → ship
They felt so embarrassed and ashamed that they could be thought to be looting.
uncertain
they → feel → ?
"They were only bringing the things up off the wreck for prosperity."
asserted
They → bring → prosperity
Ms Braes said the divers eventually received an apology from the local papers.
asserted
divers → say → papers
"They were in a way honouring the people … that lost their lives," she said.
asserted
she → honour → lives
Ms Redman said the release of the documentary had brought even more artefacts with a connection to the Geltwood to light, even overseas.
asserted
release → say → light
"I got an email from a lady in Poland; she said, 'I've just stumbled across this family bible that was from … one of the mates on the Geltwood,'" she said.
asserted
she → get → Geltwood
"It's amazing that we have this local connection with this history."
Huge support for local history
The documentary has struck a nerve with many people across the region, surprising even Ms Redman.
"
asserted
documentary → have → Redman
The first screening we had in Millicent, we had over 280 people,"she said.
asserted
we → have → people,"she
"It got to the point where we had to put extra chairs out to fill the space.
asserted
we → get → space
"The biggest thing for me was just that support from the community — the people that came to see it, the people that came up to me afterwards and said, 'This is an amazing part of our history, and thank you for capturing it.'
asserted
This → come → it
Mr Foster said he had been very impressed by both the reception and the documentary itself.
asserted
he → say → reception
"It's good to have it preserved for the future, because we're not going to be here forever, but Lyndal's documentary should be," he said.
"
asserted
he → have → future
People still associate with the wreck of the Geltwood, and it's remarkable how many people have a story."
asserted
people → associate → story