Australia — West Coast, the Houtman Rocks (1840)

The Admiralty chart that tamed Western Australia’s deadliest reefs

Off the coast of Western Australia lies one of the most infamous ship-killing reef systems on Earth — the Houtman Abrolhos, known to 19th-century mariners as the Houtman Rocks. From the wreck of the Batavia to countless lost ships, these reefs were feared by every captain approaching Australia’s west coast.

This magnificent British Admiralty chart, surveyed in 1840 by Commanders John Clements Wickham and John Lort Stokes, and engraved by J. & C. Walker, records the moment this lethal coral maze was finally measured, mapped and made navigable.

This is not a decorative map.
It is the chart that ended two centuries of maritime terror.

⚓ What This Chart Shows

This beautifully engraved Admiralty sheet reveals the Houtman Abrolhos in uncompromising navigational detail.

• The full Houtman Abrolhos reef system off Western Australia

• Hundreds of coral heads, shoals and passages

• Bathymetric soundings showing safe depth and deadly shallows

• Recruit Bay and Good Friday Bay in enlarged inset charts

• Coastal relief shown by hachures

• Greenwich prime meridian — true Admiralty navigation standard

This was the chart captains relied on when threading their way through one of the world’s most dangerous reef systems.

🧭 Why This Chart Works

Most reef maps show where coral lies.
This shows where ships could survive.

• Surveyed by Wickham & Stokes — Australia’s greatest hydrographers

• True British Admiralty production — the gold standard of navigation

• Extraordinary technical detail — soundings, reefs and anchorages

• Historic authority — used by 19th-century mariners

• Museum-grade engraving by J. & C. Walker

This is the chart that transformed the Abrolhos from a graveyard into a charted seascape.

✨ Premium Finishes

Every Houtman Rocks (1840) Admiralty Chart is printed in Australia using archival methods to preserve the fine engraved detail and historic character.

📐 Size

1000 mm (W) × 745 mm (H)
A powerful landscape wall format that reveals the full scale and complexity of the Abrolhos reef system.

🎯 Ideal For

• Maritime and naval history collectors

• Yacht clubs and sailing institutions

• Museums and libraries

• Western Australian heritage interiors

• Anyone fascinated by Australia’s shipwreck coast

🤝 Our Commitment

• Printed in Australia with professional colour management

• Archival pigment inks for long-term stability

• Premium laminates and canvas for durability

• Natural timber hang rails for elegant presentation

• Hand-checked and carefully packed before dispatch

Few places have claimed more ships than the Houtman Rocks.
Choose your finish and bring the chart that finally conquered them onto your wall.