Maritime Museum of Townsville — Attraction in South Townsville

The Museum was established in 1986, when the Secretary of the Townsville Harbour Board proposed to the Seafarers Association to set up a nautical display on the upper floor of the 55-year old former Pier Master’s office building, which had been newly refurbished. The Seafarers Association had a membership of former and serving Navy and Merchant Navy men and women and was established in 1969.

The Pier Master’s office building was situated between Berths 4 and 5 at the port. It was a double-story timber building and from this the pier master controlled all vessel movements in the port.

The Seafarers Association agreed in consultation with the Harbour Board to establish a maritime museum, named the Maritime Museum of Townsville. A Board of Directors was appointed and Neville George (after whom the park adjacent to the Museum is named) became the first Curator.

The Seafarers Association appealed to the public to loan or donate artefacts, which received a good response, and, together with the items provided by Seafarers members, it was possible to open the Museum to the public on 1 July 1986. The official opening took place on 15 July 1986 by the then mayor of Townsville, Alderman Mike Reynolds. The new Museum was located on the upper floor of the former Pier Master’s Office, whilst the lower floor was converted into a Port Information Centre. The Harbour Board and the State and Federal Governments ensured the sustainability of the Museum through grants and subsidies.

Due to the steadily expanding collection the Museum soon outgrew itself. The Townsville Port Authority (replacing the Harbour Board in 1989) made available a portion of reclaimed land between Ross Creek and Palmer Street for the relocation of the Museum, where it would have larger and better facilities and also would be more accessible for visitors. The Pier Master’s building (known by that time as the Port Building) and also the defunct Bay Rock lighthouse were relocated to this site and the Museum was reopened in April 1992. This was made possible through funding by the Port Authority and the Townsville City Council, who had become the major sponsors, as well as financial donations and donations in kind from business and individuals.

Because of its association with the early years of the Port of Townsville, the Port Building is listed on the Local Heritage Register.

Two years later a new exhibition gallery space was built, known as the Seafarers Gallery.

The running of the Museum had become too large for the Seafarers Association to run on a purely voluntary basis and in 1997 the Townsville Maritime Historical Society Incorporated was formed to take over the Museum.

Funded by a Federal grant for capital works, the Museum complex was architecturally redesigned with a footprint in the shape of a ship to include a viewing deck, a new gallery adjacent to the Seafarers Gallery (the Federation Gallery), an annex to the Port Building to house the Hayles Maritime Memorial Library, a memorial garden, BBQ area, model ship gallery, boat shed and workshop. This project was completed in 2001.

In 2007 the HMAS Townsville, a Fremantle Class Patrol Boat, was gifted to the Museum by the Commonwealth Department of Defence.

In 2015 a new not-for-profit company, known as Townsville Maritime Museum Limited with a board of three directors, came into being. Established for the purpose of ensuring the ongoing viability and financial sustainability of the Museum, this company took over the management of the Museum from the Townsville Maritime Historical Society on 1...

Sama hanya dengan Indonesia, Australia juga punya nenek moyang pelaut yang tangguh. Walaupun suku Aborigin dipercaya sebagai penghuni pertama di dataran Australia, namun sejumlah penjelajah dari Eropa mulai berdatangan pada abad ke 17 ke Pantai Australia yang dulu disebut New Holland. Pada tahun 1770 barulah dimulai pemetaan pantai timur oleh kapten James Cook dan menyatakannya sebagai milik Inggris, dan setelahnya banyak penjelajah berdatangan dan menetap di Australia. Merekalah yang kemudian menjadi nenek moyang dari warga Australia yang ada saat ini.

Untuk melihat sejarah maritim di Australia, kita bisa berkunjung ke Maritime Museum yang ada di kota Townsville, Queensland. Disini kita bisa melihat koleksi replika kapal dan perahu mulai dari yang sederhana dan tradisional sampai yang paling canggih.

Museum yang dibangun tahun 1986 ini juga memajang profil pelaut dan pilot yang pernah berjasa dimasa peperangan, terdapat beberapa tulisan dipajang yang menceritakan berbagai penyerangan saat perang dunia. Disini kita juga bisa melihat barang peninggalan mereka seperti piano yang telah berumur ratusan tahun, radio, gelas, botol obat, buletin, majalah, teropong dan lain-lain.

Hal yang paling menarik di Museum ini adalah kita bisa mempelajari cara manusia jamam dahulu untuk menyelam didalam laut menggunakan peralatan yang sangat berbeda dari yang digunakan saat sekarang ini. Para penyelam memakai helm yang beratnya mencapai puluhan kilogram dengan baju kedap air yang tidak kalah aneh dan berat. Tidak jarang peralatan yang terhitung belum canggih ini memakan korban jiwa, banyak diantaranya penyelam yang menemui ajalnya saat menyelam saat itu.

Dibagian lain museum ada beberapa buku penting yang mencatat sejarah yang terjadi di laut Australia seperti peperangan dan nama beserta lokasi kapal yang tenggelam. Sebelum pulang kita bisa membeli oleh-oleh khas Maritime Museum dengan harga mulai dari AUD2 - AUD 15.

Maritime museum buka setiap hari dari pukul 10 pagi - 3 sore, setiap pengunjung dikenakan biaya tiket sebesar AUD 6 atau...

We visited this museum and we were very surprised we thought it would only be a small museum and we would have a quick look, it has so much to look at and read and is just beautiful we loved our time here and will definitely go back. It has fantastic ships models to admire and so much history. It is looked after by volunteers and they should be very proud of themselves for the beautiful museum they have put together. It is set on the marina and you explore each room that is set out with information. They even have a lighthouse. Great...