The Historic Shipwrecks Act 1981 is the South Australian Act that protects shipwrecks and related articles lying in the territorial waters of the State - that is, waters within the limits of the State or adjacent to the State and to which the Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976 (Cth) does not apply. The Minister for Environment & Heritage is responsible for the State Act and has similar rights and powers to those given to the Commonwealth Minister under the Commonwealth Act and similar penalties apply. Under this Act, a Register of Historic Shipwrecks is kept by the State Minister.