In 2013, the wreck of the SS Ventnor was discovered off the North Island coast, sparking major international media interest and controversy. The ship had been transporting the disinterred remains of 499 Chinese miners from New Zealand to China for reburial when it was lost in 1902. What is to become of the bones still entombed in the wreck is a question involving conflicting cultural beliefs and sensitivities.

At this special talk, Keith Gordon will speak about his personal involvement with the search, discovery, and exploration of a shipwreck which has been declared of New Zealand national importance.

A retired aircraft engineer now living in Auckland, Keith Gordon is a pioneer underwater explorer with extensive underwater and shipwreck exploration experience. He is an International Fellow of The Explorers Club and is President of the New Zealand Underwater Heritage Group. With a keen interest in maritime heritage, underwater exploration expeditions have taken Keith to remote areas of the Aegean, Pacific and Southeast Asia to search for and explore historical shipwrecks. In addition to publishing SS Ventnor – Ghost Ship of the Hokianga and Deep Water Gold – The story of RMS Niagara, and co-authoring New Zealand Shipwrecks (8th edition), he has published numerous magazine articles on maritime historical and heritage topics.