His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam who is currently in Australia has noted the role of culture in the cementing of relations between Brunei Darussalam and Australia.

His Majesty said so when he viewed the Sunken Treasures of Brunei Darussalam Exhibition in Perth, Western Australia last morning, RTB reported.

On arrival at the Western Australian Maritime Museum, His Majesty the Sultan was greeted by Director of the Maritime Museum, Mr. Graeme Henderson.

The Shipwreck Galleries was opened to the public in 1981. The museum is dedicated to maritime archaeology exploration, research and conservation of the shipwreck relics. The Galleries display early exploration and shipwrecks discovered off the Western Australian coast. They dated back as early as the 17th century. A highlight is the reconstructed stern of the Dutch ship, Batavia, wrecked in 1629.

The Shipwreck Galleries are recognised as the foremost maritime archeology museum in the southern hemisphere. Apart from seeing the Shipwreck Galleries, His Majesty was briefed on the method of conservation of the various artifacts. The conservation section plays a vital role in the preservation of the ancient relics which have been unearthed by the archeologists. The conservation team led by Dr. Ian Godfrey briefed His Majesty on the complexity of the task.

His Majesty also viewed the new Western Australian Maritime Museum where he was greeted by the Chairman of Trustees, Western Australian Museum Board of Trustees, Doctor Ken Michael, and the Trustees Executive Director, Doctor Dawn Casey.

The secrets of a massive shipload of ceramics that lay at the bottom of the Brunei Sea for 500-years are also revealed to the Australians in this museum in an exhibition called the "Sunken Treasures of Brunei Darussalam".

The exhibition traces the archaeology expedition which excavated the cargo of precious 15th to 16th Century Asian ceramics. His Majesty took time to view this exhibition. The artifacts were on board a ship that sank off the coast of Brunei and lay undiscovered in the South China Seas until a French Oil company conducted seabed survey in 1997. The exhibits include more than five hundred pieces of pots, jars and bowls. They are believed to have originated from Thailand, Vietnam and China's Ming Dynasty.

His Majesty also consented to attend a reception hosted by the Western Australian Maritime Museum where His Majesty also met Brunei students studying at various education institutions in Western Australia.

His Majesty spoke about the significance of the 'Sunken Treasures of Brunei Darussalam Exhibition'. According to His Majesty the exhibition demonstrated bilateral cultural cooperation between Brunei Darussalam and Australia. - Borneo Bulletin