Australian National Maritime Museum
Encyclopedia
The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) is a federally-operated maritime museum
located in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After consideration of the idea to establish a maritime museum, the Federal government announced that a national maritime museum would be constructed at Darling Harbour, tied into the New South Wales State government's
redevelopment of the area for the Australian bicentenary
. The museum building was designed by Philip Cox
, and although an opening date of 1988 was initially set, construction delays, cost overruns, and disagreements between the State and Federal governments over funding responsibility pushed the opening back to 1991.
One of six museums directly operated by the Federal government, the ANMM is the only one located outside of the Australian Capital Territory
. The museum is structured around seven main galleries, focusing on the discovery of Australia, the relationships between the Australian Aborigines and the water, travel to Australia by sea, the ocean as a resource, water-based relaxation and entertainment, the naval defence of the nation, and the relationship between the United States of America and Australia; the last gallery was funded by the United States government, and is the only national museum gallery in the world funded by a foreign nation. Four additional gallery spaces are used for temporary exhibits. Three museum ship
s - the HM Bark Endeavour Replica
, the destroyer , and the submarine - are open to the public, while smaller historical vessels berthed outside can be viewed but not boarded.
, the National Museum of Australia
, the National Gallery of Australia
, the National Portrait Gallery
, and Questacon), the ANMM is the only one located outside the Australian Capital Territory
.
, the decision was made to situate the new museum at Darling Harbour, New South Wales
, and construct it as part of the area's redevelopment. The building of the ANMM was seen by both the Federal and New South Wales State governments as an important feature of the redevelopment, as it would be a major drawcard, and help fuel the commercial success of the precinct.
The museum building was designed by Philip Cox
, Richardson Taylor & Partners. The roof was shaped to invoke the image of billowing sails: the corrugated metal roof stands over 25 metres (82 ft) tall on the west side, but drops significantly on the east.
During development, the museum ran into a series of difficulties. In March 1998, the three top members of the ANMM interim council were sacked by the federal government and replaced. Later in the year, the Department for the Arts informed the museum that it's staff would be reduced by 30% and it would undergo budget cuts, forcing the ANMM to rely on contracted security and conservation staff, along with volunteer guides and attendants. The acceptance of a US$5 million grant for a dedicated gallery showing the links between the United States of America and Australia resulted in the displacement of much of the staff and research areas; most of these were later established in the nearby Wharf 7 building.
The museum was initially slated to open in 1988, but by October that year, construction delays had pushed the planned opening date to September 1989, and the project was already $12.5 million over the $30 million budget. Construction was completed on 17 November 1989, the cost of the museum's construction had increased to $70 million, and although the Federal government was willing to pay the initial $30 million, there were disagreements between the State and Federal governments over who had to supply the additional $40 million. It was resolved that New South Wales was responsible for the additional money, and in October 1990, the museum building was handed over to the Federal government. The ANMM was opened on 30 November 1991.
During the museum's first ten years of operation, 3.3 million visitors attended.
In 2010, London's The Sunday Times
listed the ANMM in its "World's 10 Coolest Museums".
Navigators
Eora-First People
Passengers
Commerce
Watermarks
Navy
Australia-USA
In addition, there are four other gallery spaces in the museum. The Tasman Light gallery contains the original lenses from the Tasman Island Lighthouse
, and is used for temporary photographic exhibitions and as hireable space for functions. The other three galleries (two along the eastern side of the top level, and a third offset from the main body of the museum) are used separately or together to host temporary exhibitions.
Other items on display inside the museum, but not associated with any particular gallery, include Spirit of Australia
, the Water Speed Record
-holding motorboat, and an anchor from , flagship of the First Fleet
.
s focuses on three vessels that are open for public inspection: the HM Bark Endeavour Replica
, the destroyer , and the submarine .
During the mid-1980s, it was proposed that a replica
of explorer James Cook
's ship, HM Bark Endeavour
be constructed for the museum. Funding for construction was initially provided by the Bond Corporation, and construction began at the start of 1988. However, in 1990, the company ran into financial difficulties, and construction was unable to continue until a charitable trust was established in 1991 to complete and operate the replica Endeavour. The vessel was completed in 1994, and spent the next ten years sailing around Australia and the world before ownership was transferred to the ANMM in 2005.
The Daring class
destroyer HMAS Vampire is the only ship of her class to be preserved, and was the last gun-destroyer to serve in the Royal Australian Navy. Vampire was commissioned into the RAN in 1959, and served until 1986. The destroyer was loaned to the ANMM on its opening in 1991, and was transferred completely to museum ownership in 1997. The Oberon class
submarine HMAS Onslow was introduced into RAN service in 1969. She was operated until early 1999, and was given to the ANMM that year. Despite no longer being in naval commission, Vampire and Onslow have permission to fly the Australian White Ensign. Prior to Onslows acquisition, the former Russian submarine Foxtrot-540
was on display at the museum from 1995 to 1998. The submarine had been purchased in 1994 by a group of Australian businessmen, and was placed on display for the duration of the lease purchase contract
, after which the submarine was relocated to California.
Other vessels on display (but not open for public boarding) include:, one of twenty Attack class patrol boats
built by the RAN during the 1960s to patrol Australia's northern waters. Advance served from 1968 until 1988, then was transferred to the ANMM. The patrol boat is in operational condition.
, was relocated to the ANMM site in 1987.
The Vaughan Evans Library is the research library attached to the ANMM, and is a collecting agency on maritime matters.
The Welcome Wall is a bronze wall located on the northern side of the museum, which lists the names of immigrants who arrived by sea to settle in Australia. Having a name engraved on the wall requires an application to the ANMM, and the paying of a fee. As of the end of 2011, the wall contains 24,000 names.
A Harding safety lifeboat and davit is fitted on the water's edge. This lifeboat, of a design commonly used aboard offshore drilling
platforms and tanker ships, is used by the Sydney Institute of TAFE for maritime training.
Maritime museum
A maritime museum is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water...
located in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After consideration of the idea to establish a maritime museum, the Federal government announced that a national maritime museum would be constructed at Darling Harbour, tied into the New South Wales State government's
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
redevelopment of the area for the Australian bicentenary
Australian Bicentenary
The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1970 on the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook landing and claiming the land, and again in 1988 to celebrate 200 years of permanent European settlement.-1970:...
. The museum building was designed by Philip Cox
Philip Cox
Professor Philip Sutton Cox AO is an Australian architect.Professor Cox is the founding partner of COX Architects & Planners, one of the largest architectural practices in Australia....
, and although an opening date of 1988 was initially set, construction delays, cost overruns, and disagreements between the State and Federal governments over funding responsibility pushed the opening back to 1991.
One of six museums directly operated by the Federal government, the ANMM is the only one located outside of the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
. The museum is structured around seven main galleries, focusing on the discovery of Australia, the relationships between the Australian Aborigines and the water, travel to Australia by sea, the ocean as a resource, water-based relaxation and entertainment, the naval defence of the nation, and the relationship between the United States of America and Australia; the last gallery was funded by the United States government, and is the only national museum gallery in the world funded by a foreign nation. Four additional gallery spaces are used for temporary exhibits. Three museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
s - the HM Bark Endeavour Replica
HM Bark Endeavour Replica
The HM Bark Endeavour Replica is a replica of , the bark commanded by Lieutenant James Cook when he charted New Zealand and discovered the eastern coast of Australia...
, the destroyer , and the submarine - are open to the public, while smaller historical vessels berthed outside can be viewed but not boarded.
History
Of the six museums operated directly by the Federal government (the ANMM, the Australian War MemorialAustralian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
, the National Museum of Australia
National Museum of Australia
The National Museum of Australia was formally established by the National Museum of Australia Act 1980. The National Museum preserves and interprets Australia's social history, exploring the key issues, people and events that have shaped the nation....
, the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
, the National Portrait Gallery
National Portrait Gallery (Australia)
The National Portrait Gallery of Australia is a collection of portraits of prominent Australians that are important in their field of endeavour or whose life sets them apart as an individual of long-term public interest...
, and Questacon), the ANMM is the only one located outside the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
Development
In June 1985, the Federal government announced the establishment of a national museum focusing on Australia's maritime history and the nation's ongoing involvement and dependence on the sea. Proposals for the creation of such a museum had been under consideration over the preceding years. After lobbying by New South Wales Premier Neville WranNeville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
, the decision was made to situate the new museum at Darling Harbour, New South Wales
Darling Harbour, New South Wales
Darling Harbour is a locality of the city centre of Sydney, Australia. It is a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district. The locality extends northwards from Chinatown, along both sides of Cockle Bay to King Street...
, and construct it as part of the area's redevelopment. The building of the ANMM was seen by both the Federal and New South Wales State governments as an important feature of the redevelopment, as it would be a major drawcard, and help fuel the commercial success of the precinct.
The museum building was designed by Philip Cox
Philip Cox
Professor Philip Sutton Cox AO is an Australian architect.Professor Cox is the founding partner of COX Architects & Planners, one of the largest architectural practices in Australia....
, Richardson Taylor & Partners. The roof was shaped to invoke the image of billowing sails: the corrugated metal roof stands over 25 metres (82 ft) tall on the west side, but drops significantly on the east.
During development, the museum ran into a series of difficulties. In March 1998, the three top members of the ANMM interim council were sacked by the federal government and replaced. Later in the year, the Department for the Arts informed the museum that it's staff would be reduced by 30% and it would undergo budget cuts, forcing the ANMM to rely on contracted security and conservation staff, along with volunteer guides and attendants. The acceptance of a US$5 million grant for a dedicated gallery showing the links between the United States of America and Australia resulted in the displacement of much of the staff and research areas; most of these were later established in the nearby Wharf 7 building.
The museum was initially slated to open in 1988, but by October that year, construction delays had pushed the planned opening date to September 1989, and the project was already $12.5 million over the $30 million budget. Construction was completed on 17 November 1989, the cost of the museum's construction had increased to $70 million, and although the Federal government was willing to pay the initial $30 million, there were disagreements between the State and Federal governments over who had to supply the additional $40 million. It was resolved that New South Wales was responsible for the additional money, and in October 1990, the museum building was handed over to the Federal government. The ANMM was opened on 30 November 1991.
Operating history
In order to achieve commercial sustainability, the ANMM was directed by the Federal government to institute entry fees: the first Australian national museum to do so. The entry fee for the museum was dropped at the start of, but will be re-added in December 2011.During the museum's first ten years of operation, 3.3 million visitors attended.
In 2010, London's The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
listed the ANMM in its "World's 10 Coolest Museums".
Galleries
Permanent exhibitions at the ANMM are focused around seven permanent gallery spaces:Navigators
- Originally called "Discovery of Australia", this gallery looks at discovery, exploration, and charting of Australia's coastline by the Dutch, British, and French, as well as trade between the Indonesians and Australian Aborigines prior to European discovery.
Eora-First People
- Australian Aborigines and their relationship with the water.
Passengers
- Looks at the journeys made to Australia by various groups, from the original settlers to war brides, refugees, and cruise ship visitors.
Commerce
- Covers the working relationship between Australia and the water, including areas such as seaborne trade, the fishing and whaling industries, and the role of maritime unionsTrade unionA trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
.
Watermarks
- Celebrates "Australia's love affair with the water" in terms of recreation and entertainment. The gallery was opened in December 2001, with major focal points including the yacht Blackmores First Lady (which was used by Australian Kay CotteeKay CotteeKay Cottee, AO was the first female sailor to perform a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. She performed this feat in 1988 in her yacht Blackmore's First Lady, taking 189 days.-Early life:...
when she became the first woman to sail solo, nonstop, unassisted around the world), the coxless fourCoxless fourA coxless four is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for four persons who propel the boat with sweep oars.The crew consists of four rowers, each having one oar. There are two rowers on the stroke side and two on the bow side...
rowing shell used by the Oarsome FoursomeOarsome FoursomeThe Oarsome Foursome is the nickname for an Australian rowing crew who competed between 1990 and 1998 - winning two Olympic gold medals in the coxless fours.The original crew was Nick Green, James Tomkins, Mike McKay, and Sam Patten...
at the 1992 Summer Olympics1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, and a vessel from the Darwin Beer Can Regatta. The space previously hosted the America's CupAmerica's CupThe America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
-winning yacht Australia IIAustralia IIAustralia II is the Australian 12-metre-class challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 and won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club...
as the centrepiece of the "Tall Gallery", but the yacht, owned by the Australian Government and not the ANMM, was transferred to the Western Australian Maritime Museum in late 2000.
Navy
- The role of the Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(and before that, the Royal Navy's Australian SquadronAustralian SquadronThe Australian Squadron was the name given to the British naval force assigned to the Australia Station from 1859 to 1911.The Squadron was initially a small force of Royal Navy warships based in Sydney, and although intended to protect the colonies of Australia and New Zealand, the ships were...
) in the defence of the nation. Includes the "Wall of Sydney"; models and histories of the four Australian warships named after the city of SydneyHMAS SydneyFive ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named HMAS Sydney, for Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales., a Chatham-class light cruiser launched in 1912, decommissioned in 1928, and broken up for scrap, a Leander-class light cruiser launched in 1934, and sunk following an engagement...
.
Australia-USA
- The gallery looks at the links and commonalities between Australia and the United States of America. A US$5 million endowmentFinancial endowmentA financial endowment is a transfer of money or property donated to an institution. The total value of an institution's investments is often referred to as the institution's endowment and is typically organized as a public charity, private foundation, or trust....
to the ANMM was the United States' gift for Australia's bicentenary, making the Australia-USA Gallery the only gallery in a national museum funded by a foreign nation. The gallery itself was designed by the Burley Katon Halliday firm.
Tasman Island Lighthouse
The Tasman Island Lighthouse is on Tasman Island off the coast of south-eastern Tasmania, Australia. It was one of the most isolated lighthouses in Australia. It was built in 1906, automated in 1976 and demanned in 1977. The island is now part of the Tasman National Park...
, and is used for temporary photographic exhibitions and as hireable space for functions. The other three galleries (two along the eastern side of the top level, and a third offset from the main body of the museum) are used separately or together to host temporary exhibitions.
Other items on display inside the museum, but not associated with any particular gallery, include Spirit of Australia
Spirit of Australia
Spirit of Australia is a wooden speed boat built in a Sydney backyard, by Ken Warby, that broke and set the world water speed record on 8 October 1978.- The Record and Boat :...
, the Water Speed Record
Water speed record
The World Unlimited water speed record is the officially recognised fastest speed achieved by a water-borne vehicle. The current record of 511 km/h was achieved in 1978....
-holding motorboat, and an anchor from , flagship of the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...
.
Museum ships
The ANMM's collection of museum shipMuseum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
s focuses on three vessels that are open for public inspection: the HM Bark Endeavour Replica
HM Bark Endeavour Replica
The HM Bark Endeavour Replica is a replica of , the bark commanded by Lieutenant James Cook when he charted New Zealand and discovered the eastern coast of Australia...
, the destroyer , and the submarine .
Ship replica
A ship replica is a reconstruction of a no longer existing ship. Replicas can range from authentically reconstructed, fully seaworthy ships, to ships of modern construction that give an impression of an historic vessel...
of explorer James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
's ship, HM Bark Endeavour
HMS Endeavour
HMS Endeavour may refer to one of the following ships:In the Royal Navy:, a 36-gun ship purchased in 1652 and sold in 1656, a 4-gun bomb vessel purchased in 1694 and sold in 1696, a fire ship purchased in 1694 and sold in 1696, a storeship hoy purchased in 1694 and sold in 1705, a storeship...
be constructed for the museum. Funding for construction was initially provided by the Bond Corporation, and construction began at the start of 1988. However, in 1990, the company ran into financial difficulties, and construction was unable to continue until a charitable trust was established in 1991 to complete and operate the replica Endeavour. The vessel was completed in 1994, and spent the next ten years sailing around Australia and the world before ownership was transferred to the ANMM in 2005.
The Daring class
Daring class destroyer (1949)
The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...
destroyer HMAS Vampire is the only ship of her class to be preserved, and was the last gun-destroyer to serve in the Royal Australian Navy. Vampire was commissioned into the RAN in 1959, and served until 1986. The destroyer was loaned to the ANMM on its opening in 1991, and was transferred completely to museum ownership in 1997. The Oberon class
Oberon class submarine
The Oberon class was a 27-boat class of British-built diesel-electric submarines based on the successful British Porpoise-class submarine....
submarine HMAS Onslow was introduced into RAN service in 1969. She was operated until early 1999, and was given to the ANMM that year. Despite no longer being in naval commission, Vampire and Onslow have permission to fly the Australian White Ensign. Prior to Onslows acquisition, the former Russian submarine Foxtrot-540
Soviet submarine B-427
B-427 was a Project 641 diesel-electric attack submarine of the Soviet Navy. The "B" in her designation stands for большая . Foxtrots are among the largest non-nuclear submarines ever built. Commissioned in 1971, the submarine operated with the Russian Pacific Fleet until decommissioning in 1994...
was on display at the museum from 1995 to 1998. The submarine had been purchased in 1994 by a group of Australian businessmen, and was placed on display for the duration of the lease purchase contract
Lease purchase contract
A lease purchase contract is a shortened name for lease with option to purchase contract. It is a form of real estate purchase which combines elements of a traditional rental agreement with an exclusive option of right of first refusal to later purchase the home.These contracts are commonly used...
, after which the submarine was relocated to California.
Other vessels on display (but not open for public boarding) include:, one of twenty Attack class patrol boats
Attack class patrol boat
The Attack class patrol boats were small coastal defence vessels built for the Royal Australian Navy and operated between 1967 and 1985...
built by the RAN during the 1960s to patrol Australia's northern waters. Advance served from 1968 until 1988, then was transferred to the ANMM. The patrol boat is in operational condition.
- Akarana, a New Zealand racing yacht built to compete in Australia's centenary races, and restored as New Zealand's bicentenary gift.
- Bareki, the last timber-built tugboat in service with the NSW Maritime Services Board. The tugboat was built in 1962, and primarily used for dredging and towing work between Port Kembla and Newcastle. Bareki serves as the museum's active tugboat.
- The lightship Carpentaria, an unmanned lightvesselLightvesselA lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction...
(effectively a floating lighthouse) built during 1916 and 1917. The vessel operated in the Gulf of CarpentariaGulf of CarpentariaThe Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
, off Sandy Cape, Queensland, and in Bass StraitBass StraitBass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
during a career which ended in 1983. In 1987, the vessel was donated to the ANMM collection. - John Louis, one of the last pearling luggers to operate in Australian waters.
- Kathleen Gillett, a double-ended ketch built for an Australian sailor from designs by Colin ArcherColin ArcherColin Archer was a Norwegian naval architect and shipbuilder from Larvik, Norway. His parents emigrated from Scotland to Norway in 1825....
, a Norwegian man who spent time in Australia as a farmer before returning to Norway and becoming a naval architecht. The yacht competed in the first Sydney to Hobart race, and was the second Australian yacht to circumnavigate the globe. The vessel ended up in Guam, was purchased by the Norwegian government in 1987, and restorted as Norway's bicentennial gift., a fishing trawler used during World War II for Operation JaywickOperation JaywickOperation Jaywick was a special operation undertaken in World War II. In September 1943, 14 commandos and sailors from the Z Special Unit raided Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour, sinking seven ships.- Background :...
, a commando operation to scuttle Japanese vessels in Singapore harbour. She was sold off after the war and used as a workboat for the Indonesian timber trade, but was rediscovered by Australian special forces veterans in 1962. Krait was acquired by the Australian War MemorialAustralian War MemorialThe Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
, then transferred on loan to the ANMM in 1988. - Sekar Aman, an Indonesian perahu.
- Tu Do, a Vietnamese vessel used by 31 South Vietnamese refugees to reach Darwin in 1975, following the end of the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Tu Do was acquired by the ANMM in 1990. - MB 172, a former officer's launch built by the RAN in 1937, and used primarily in Darwin. The vessel is active, and used to transport museum staff and guests. The vessel unofficially carries the name Epic Lass, as the launch's restoration was sponsored by Epiglass.
Other facilities
The 1874-built Cape Bowling Green Lighthouse, originally located at Cape Bowling Green, near Townsville, QueenslandTownsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
, was relocated to the ANMM site in 1987.
The Vaughan Evans Library is the research library attached to the ANMM, and is a collecting agency on maritime matters.
The Welcome Wall is a bronze wall located on the northern side of the museum, which lists the names of immigrants who arrived by sea to settle in Australia. Having a name engraved on the wall requires an application to the ANMM, and the paying of a fee. As of the end of 2011, the wall contains 24,000 names.
A Harding safety lifeboat and davit is fitted on the water's edge. This lifeboat, of a design commonly used aboard offshore drilling
Offshore drilling
Offshore drilling refers to a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled through the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently produce hydrocarbons which lie in rock formations beneath the seabed...
platforms and tanker ships, is used by the Sydney Institute of TAFE for maritime training.