[1] A colourful period of the colony's history, the loss of the Hive was an important event, occurring in the largely unsurveyed region of Jervis Bay, New South Wales.

Local identities such as Alexander Berry, aided the rescue of some 300 people on board, including passengers, soldiers, crew and 250 convicts.

[1] Built in the United Kingdom at Deptford, Kent in 1820, the Hive was ship rigged with two decks, a square stern and quarter galleries.

[1] Sailing from Falmouth, United Kingdom, to Port Jackson on 8 February 1834, the Hive brought out its first cargo of 250 male prisoners.

Surgeon George Fairfowl, with a humanitarian gesture, allowed sixty prisoners to sleep on deck, changing shifts every four hours.

At 10pm Morgan came below decks to break some fearful news to Chief Officer Kenny that there was something white on the port bow that looked like breakers!

Ensign Kelly, with unfailing dedication, proceeded by land to gain help, carrying a letter about the wreck from Surgeon Donohoe.

The wreck was the means of producing much excitement in Sydney and great numbers of the town's people were observed flooding to the Dock Yard and other places where information might be obtained relative to the accident.

By Sunday, the Government revenue cutter Prince George was dispatched to the wreck with the brig-of-war HMS Zebra under command of Captain McRae and the steam packet Tamar with a detachment of the 17th Regiment.

Having anchored three point two kilometres (two miles) out into the bay, the vessel's "whaleboats" were used to ferry the bulk of the salvaged goods in twenty-two trips.

Consisting of buried timbers, analysed as British Oak, the wreck lies beneath the surf zone approximately 40 metres (130 ft) out from shore.

The associated remains of the survivors camp site on Bherwerre Beach includes fragments of bottled glass, ceramics and coke which may have derived from the ships stoves and or heaters.

The survivors camp, while heavily disturbed by later grazing and souveniring, retains personal and sundry items, along with evidence of stores recovered from the ship.

[1] As at 22 September 2009, The Hive is significant in representing the period of convict transportation to Australia and the interaction between the survivors of shipwreck and Aborigines.

Artefacts associated with the hull might provide important insights into the cargo and items related to crew, soldiers and convicts on board.

The loss of Hive appears to have aroused interest in the colony at Sydney, and influenced the subsequent naming of Wreck Bay.

Events surrounding the loss illustrate important aspects of the quality of leadership associated with convict transportation and of the participation of notable NSW colonial figures, such as Alexander Berry, in the rescue operations.

The Hive shipwreck and survivor camp are significant because they represent positive contact and beneficial interaction between colonial figures in NSW and the local Aboriginal community.

The events surrounding the loss of the Hive demonstrate some of the best examples available of the successful employment of the official European Policy on contact with the Aboriginal populations, that of least-conflict, constructive engagement and mutual respect.

Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community members and other Kooris are proud to have been actively involved in the development of the shared cultural heritage resulting from the Hive shipwreck and survivor camp, and it has special significance to them.

The long-held and strong association with the cultural aspects of the Hive is evidenced by the importance that the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community places on both the shipwreck and survivor camp on an ongoing basis.

As the buried hull is thought to be relatively intact, this State significant site has the unique potential to reveal much information about the prison-ship technology and construction techniques of the period.

The Hive shipwreck and survivor camp sites are identified to be of State significance in terms of their potential to inform our understanding of shipboard/survivor life, gender roles, and shipboard practices of the period.

Rarity is increased as the Hive is also the only convict shipwreck in Australia to have an associated survivor camp, the only one with potential do demonstrate the "new" prison design implemented in 1817 and relinquished shortly after.