Asian Diver — October 2017

7575

ABOVE

L’Indomptable,

Freycinet’s

first military boat

SG: What do you mean?
NB: In our family home in Brittany,
there is a model boat in my bedroom.
Up until recently, I had not looked
at it in detail. But, recently, I realised
that this boat is the well-known vessel
L’Indomptable, Freycinet’s first military
boat, based in Toulon, France. You can
imagine how surprised I was. But, it gets
better. Several months later, I found
a photo of my grandfather wearing
a diving suit. He was a mechanic on
a military ship during the Second
World War, and the ship was based in
Toulon. Don’t you think that all of these
coincidences are incredible? The further
I go in putting this exhibition together,
the further I delve into my personal
history, the history of France, my birth

country and the history of Australia, my

adopted country.

SG: What do you find inspiring in these

amazing coincidences?

NB: That I am the link to their respective

histories. Today, my dream is to include

this French history of Australia in the

academic literature of both countries.

SG: Do you still have time to dive?

NB: A bit less than before. Western

Australia is thought to have around

1,500 shipwrecks, but only a third have

been documented. I’d really like to

discover one. Why not a whaling ship

from Brittany? A way of closing the loop

between my family home, my Breton

roots and my Australian roots! AD

“The further I go in

putting this exhibition

together, the further I

delve into my personal

history, the history

of France, my birth

country, and the

history of Australia,

my adopted country”