HMS Pandora - for Children & Adults

My grandchildren, two sets of twins aged eight and seven (3 boys and a girl), love the stories of Secret Agent Jack Stalwart, an adventure series helping reluctant readers to discover the fun of reading. A particular hit with them was The Search for the Sunken Treasure by Elizabeth Singer Hunt, published in 2006.

The book's publicity blurb says: While checking on the wreck of the HMS Pandora, Alfie, a diver, goes missing. Only the Global Protection Force can help, and Jack is dispatched from London to Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Within minutes of his arrival, Jack finds the kidnappers and Alfie. That was easy! But bringing Alfie home alive and recovering the treasure...not so much. He must get past a Komodo dragon, deadly jellyfish, some sharks, and pirates.

I loved reading this particular story to my grandchildren because, as a lover and researcher of that period of history, HMS Pandora is dear to my own heart. However I imagine that the liberties taken in telling the children's story would offend a marine archaeologist friend of mine, Peter Gesner.

Do you really want to know how and why the British warship Pandora was wrecked off the North Queensland coast in 1791, and what happened to it? Then listen to this radio programme, broadcast on the ABC a year ago, with Peter Gesner as Richard Fidler’s guest. Peter mentions the three skeletons found within the wreckage – affectionately known as Tom, Dick & Harry. Last year I wrote about Peter's attempts to identify Tom, Dick & Harry.