[1] Development of ANCODS began with the discovery of four Dutch East India Company ships off the coast of Western Australia in the 1950s–1960s.

Zuytdorp remained where it sank until the location of the wreck was publicized by the local press in the 1930s, although rumours of its existence had been previously circulated in 1927.

[2] The Western Australian Museum (WAM) carried out archaeological investigations of both the underwater site and the associated survivor camp from 1974 until the late 1990s.

[3] Wrecked in 1656 south of Ledge Point, Western Australia, the Vergulde Draeck (or Gilt Dragon, as it is more commonly known) was the first to be relocated during the 1950–1960s.

The ANCODS collection currently includes large numbers of ballast bricks, clay pipes, stoneware, wooden and metal fragments as well as elephant tusks, leather shoes and coin-, eight hundred of which are in the custody of the Money Museum in Utrecht.

When no water was found, the party was sent to Batavia (modern day Jakarta) to get help and to notify the government of a mutiny aboard the ship.

[2] Much of the cargo that was carried aboard was transferred to the survivor camp on Gun Island and perhaps later returned to Batavia, via the Sloepie.

The main wreck site was identified in 1968, containing remains such as rigging, cannons, kegs of nails, wine glasses, and ceramics.

[2][8] In this time Alan Robinson, one of the finders of the Vergulde Draeck, sued WAM, claimed that the legislation implemented was not valid.

[2] With the beginning of the legal battle between Robinson and the WAM, the Agreement between Australia and the Netherlands Concerning Old Dutch Shipwrecks was signed on 6 November 1972.

The current Australian members are Dr John PS Bach OAM and Professor Geoffrey C Bolton AO.

[10] Undertaking the Secretariat duties of the committee is the Maritime Heritage Section of the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

[10] Linked to the committee are two groups of stakeholders composed of four museum and government representatives, who also take part in decisions regarding the ANCODS agreement.

[11]As part of the ANCODS Agreement, Australia took on the responsibility to look after all the artefacts recovered from the wrecks, including their recovery, conservation, storage and display.

[12] An official handover took place on 9 November 2010, conducted by Mr Willem Andreae, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to Senator Don Farrell, the Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water.

Mr Willem Andreae handed a pewter plate recovered from the Batavia wreck to Premier Colin Barnett.