The Politics of Shipwrecks

Geopoliticaltensions between rival global superpowers are intensifying in our region. In maritime Southeast Asia, rivalries take the form of disputes and overlapping claims to territory and resources. However, this region is also home to more than 2000 warships wrecked during World War II. The presence of human remains, unexploded ordnance and leaking oil means that these ageing wrecks need to be
managed with great care and sensitivity. Decades of neglect have turned them into diplomatic time bombs, with potentially damaging consequences for nation-states and communities at home and abroad. In this Indo-Pacific Maritime Hour webinar, YCAPS will host Dr Natali Pearson, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, to explore the diplomatic implications of maritime war heritage. Dr Pearson argues that heritage-making can lead to improved governance outcomes and the development of cooperative practices in a region of
key strategic importance for Australia and the world.

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Guest speaker

Dr Natali Pearson is a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow (2025-2027) and a Senior Lecturer in Heritage Studies in the Discipline of Archaeology at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on maritime heritage in Southeast Asia. Natali’s first book, Belitung: The Afterlives of a Shipwreck, is published by University of Hawaii Press and National University of Singapore Press. She is President of the Indonesia Council, a member of ICOMOS and a Councillor of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology.

Moderator: Dr. John Bradford, YCAPS Executive Director

Format: This event will be off-the-record.

Webinar Cost: Free of charge