Archaeological material recovered from historic shipwrecks on the Western Australian coast was a catalyst in the development of the Western Australian Maritime Museum. The Museum is one of the few museums in the world specifically oriented to the preservation and display of maritime archaeological material.Part of the work of the Maritime Archaeology Department is to register, document and research the shipwreck collections in order to identify the various components of the ship its hull structure, fastenings, fittings and its contentship and equipment, stores, cargo, personal possessions of the crew, and so on.Documentation begins at the shipwreck site, as soon as objects are raised, and continues back at the Museum.