Former local brings Geltwood story to life

ONE of the most haunting and controversial chapters of South Australia’s maritime history is returning to the surface.

On June 12, the Millicent Civic and Arts Centre will host the world premiere of Geltwood, a new documentary, directed by Lyndal Redman, exploring the 150-year legacy of a voyage that ended in disaster, mystery, and a fight for historical redemption.

The film, which received vital finishing funding from the Wattle Range Council, explores the complex legacy of the Geltwood, a sailing ship that departed the United Kingdom for Melbourne in 1876, only to be destroyed by what was then called the “worst storm in history.”

The wreck of the Geltwood is deeply woven into the folklore of the Limestone Coast. Driven onto a reef south of Grey (now Southend), the ship was completely lost, and the aftermath became a source of local infamy.

As debris washed ashore, residents pillaged the cargo, burying treasures in the surrounding sand dunes to be recovered in secret.

For more than 100 years, the ship itself remained hidden beneath the waves.

It wasn’t until 1980 that local fisherman Lance Chambers and his deckhand, Peter Walters, rediscovered the site, sparking a new era of exploration and controversy.

The documentary features never-before-seen footage from the 1980s, captured by a dedicated group of local divers who set out to save the ship’s history.

While they successfully raised the Geltwood’s massive anchor—now a centrepiece of the National Trust exhibition in Millicent—their efforts were met with public backlash.

Despite their careful surveying and cataloguing, a contemporary report in The Advertiser labelled the team as “looters,” a stigma the film examines through poignant interviews with surviving members of the original dive team.

“The Geltwood is more than a shipwreck; it is a 150-year story of loss and the fragile task of preserving the past,” Lyndal said. “It’s a story of how we treat our past—whether we bury it in the sand, leave it to the tide, or fight to bring it into the light.”

The premiere will serve as a commemorative moment for the community, honouring the lives lost in 1876 and the locals who worked to preserve their story.

Date: June 12th, 2026Location: Millicent Civic and Arts CentreTime: 6.30pmTickets will be available through humanitix.com