Queensland Maritime Museum
Encyclopedia
The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River
just south of the South Bank Parklands
and Queensland Cultural Centre
precinct of Brisbane
, and close to the Goodwill Bridge
.
The museum was founded in 1971 and contains a two level exhibition building presenting historic sailing ship models together with merchant shipping from early cargo ships to modern container ships, tankers and cruise liners. It is housed in the building used for the “Pavilion of Promise” at World Expo 88, and the South Brisbane Dry Dock which was built in the 1870s and was 313 feet (95 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) wide. In 1887 the dock was extended to 430 feet (131 m) due to the increasing size of vessels.
The museum also includes a library that stocks documents, pictures and other relevant artifacts relating to maritime history. There are several maps that show how early navigators created accurate charts.
Information is also provided about some of the 1,500 plus shipwrecks that have occurred along the Queensland coast including the Great Barrier Reef
.
, the only remaining working coal-fired steam tug in Queensland
, is berthed at the Museum wharf and there are regular sailings down the Brisbane River. It was built in 1925 by Alex Stephen & Son Ltd., Glasgow
, Scotland
. In 1941 it was chartered by the government for service in the Middle East, but did not sail because Japan
entered World War II
. She was then requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy
and became known as HMAS Forceful. She was armed with a 20mm Oerlikon Machine Gun and a .303" Vickers machine gun. At present, she is laid up for repairs, estimated to reach around $250,000AUD.
HMAS Diamantina, a River Class frigate is in the South Brisbane Dry Dock (Graving Dock), and on board visitors can view the Museum's collection of Australian Naval memorabilia.
Another WW2 vessel located at the Museum is the Torres Strait
pearling lugger
"Penguin" which was used by the Americans during WW2, along with the dinghy from General Douglas MacArthur's
motor Yacht "Shangri-La".
Also visible is the Light Ship
Carpentaria.
Information is also provided about how lighthouse
technology developed from the early oil wick burners to the modern equipment used in the present day. The former Bulwer Island Light
, which operated at Bulwer Island at the mouth of the Brisbane River
from 1912 to 1983, is on display outside the Museum. It is a white, octagonal wooden tower covered with corrugated iron sheets, and the roof of lantern is red.
Also displayed are the original lens of Archer Point Light
, the pedestal and gearbox of Bustard Head Light
, and the lens and apparatus from Cape Don Light
in the Northern Territory
.
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
just south of the South Bank Parklands
South Bank Parklands, Brisbane
The South Bank Parklands are located at South Bank in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The parkland, on the transformed site of Brisbane's World Expo 88, was officially opened to the public on 20 June 1992.-Overview:...
and Queensland Cultural Centre
Queensland Cultural Centre
The Queensland Cultural Centre is a multi-venue centre located at South Bank, Brisbane, capital city of Queensland. It consists of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre , the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland , the Queensland Art Gallery and the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art...
precinct of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and close to the Goodwill Bridge
Goodwill Bridge, Brisbane
The Goodwill Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist bridge which spans the Brisbane River in Brisbane Australia, linking the South Bank Parklands / Queensland Museum on the southside, to the Gardens Point Campus of the Queensland University of Technology on the northside.The Goodwill Bridge was opened...
.
The museum was founded in 1971 and contains a two level exhibition building presenting historic sailing ship models together with merchant shipping from early cargo ships to modern container ships, tankers and cruise liners. It is housed in the building used for the “Pavilion of Promise” at World Expo 88, and the South Brisbane Dry Dock which was built in the 1870s and was 313 feet (95 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) wide. In 1887 the dock was extended to 430 feet (131 m) due to the increasing size of vessels.
The museum also includes a library that stocks documents, pictures and other relevant artifacts relating to maritime history. There are several maps that show how early navigators created accurate charts.
Information is also provided about some of the 1,500 plus shipwrecks that have occurred along the Queensland coast including the Great Barrier Reef
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the world'slargest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,600 kilometres over an area of approximately...
.
Vessels
The 121 feet (37 m) steam tug ForcefulForceful (tugboat)
Forceful was an ocean-going tugboat built for the Queensland Tug Company. Forceful was built by Alexander Stephen and Sons Ltd in Govan, Scotland. She arrived at her homeport of Brisbane, Queensland on 7 March 1926...
, the only remaining working coal-fired steam tug in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, is berthed at the Museum wharf and there are regular sailings down the Brisbane River. It was built in 1925 by Alex Stephen & Son Ltd., Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. In 1941 it was chartered by the government for service in the Middle East, but did not sail because Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was then requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The 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 became known as HMAS Forceful. She was armed with a 20mm Oerlikon Machine Gun and a .303" Vickers machine gun. At present, she is laid up for repairs, estimated to reach around $250,000AUD.
Another WW2 vessel located at the Museum is the Torres Strait
Torres Strait
The Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
pearling lugger
Pearling in Western Australia
Pearling in Western Australia existed well before European settlement. Coastal dwelling Aborigines had collected and traded pearl shell as well as trepang and tortoise with fishermen from Sulawesi for possibly hundreds of years. After settlement the Aborigines were used as slave labour in the...
"Penguin" which was used by the Americans during WW2, along with the dinghy from General Douglas MacArthur's
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
motor Yacht "Shangri-La".
Also visible is the Light Ship
Lightvessel
A 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...
Carpentaria.
Lighthouses exhibition
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
technology developed from the early oil wick burners to the modern equipment used in the present day. The former Bulwer Island Light
Bulwer Island Light
Bulwer Island Light, also known as Bulwer Island Range Rear Light, is an inactive lighthouse that used to be located on Bulwer Island, in the city of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In 1983 it was moved to the Queensland Maritime Museum in Brisbane....
, which operated at Bulwer Island at the mouth of the Brisbane River
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in south east Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay. John Oxley was the first European to explore the river who named it after the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane in 1823...
from 1912 to 1983, is on display outside the Museum. It is a white, octagonal wooden tower covered with corrugated iron sheets, and the roof of lantern is red.
Also displayed are the original lens of Archer Point Light
Archer Point Light
Archer Point Light is an active lighthouse located on Archer Point, a conical, , grassy headland, about southeast of Cooktown, Queensland, Australia. Originally an 1883 timber frame lighthouse, covered with galvanised iron, it was replaced in 1975 with a modern square concrete equipment room,...
, the pedestal and gearbox of Bustard Head Light
Bustard Head Light
Bustard Head Light is an active lighthouse located on the southeast tip of Bustard Head, a headland, about northwest of 1770, Queensland, Australia, within the Eurimbula National Park. Built in 1868, it is the second oldest lightstation in Queensland, following Cape Moreton Light, and the first to...
, and the lens and apparatus from Cape Don Light
Cape Don Light
Cape Don Light is an active lighthouse located on Cape Don, at the tip of the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory, Australia, in Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, marking the entrance to the Dundas Strait. It is Australia's northernmost traditional lighthouse. The station served on the important...
in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.