Australian Sailing Museum facts for kids
The Australian Sailing Museum was a special place in Mandurah, Western Australia. It was a museum all about sailing, showing off amazing yacht models and telling the stories of Australian sailors. It opened in 2008 and closed its doors in 2012.
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What Was Inside the Museum?
The Australian Sailing Museum was created by a famous sailor named Rolly Tasker. He wanted to share the exciting history of sailing with everyone.
Amazing Displays
The museum had many cool things to see. You could find:
- Detailed models of yachts, showing different types of boats from Australia and around the world.
- Artworks about the sea and sailing.
- Lifelike wax figures of famous sailing heroes, like Dennis Conner and Thomas Lipton.
- Walls covered with pictures and stories about sailing history.
- Colorful flags, called pennants, from sailing clubs all over the globe.
More Than Just Exhibits
The museum wasn't only about displays. It also had:
- The Peninsula Art Gallery, where you could see and buy art prints.
- The Boardwalk coffee shop, a nice spot to relax.
- Rolly Tasker Sails Australia, a shop that sold sails made by Rolly Tasker himself.
The Grand Opening
The museum officially opened on Monday, April 7, 2008. The Governor-General of Australia, Michael Jeffery, was there to open it on behalf of Rolly and Kerry Tasker. It was a big day for sailing fans!
A Short but Sweet History
The Australian Sailing Museum quickly became a recognized place. In 2009, it was even named a finalist in the Western Australian Tourism Awards. This showed how much people enjoyed visiting and learning about sailing there.
Why the Museum Closed
Sadly, Rolly Tasker passed away in 2012 when he was 86 years old. After his death, his family tried to find another group to take care of the museum's collection. When they couldn't find one, many of the items were moved to the Western Australian Museum. Other parts of the collection were sold.
Images for kids
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A very lifelike model of the Earl of Dunraven yacht.
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An interior view showing some of the displays at the Australian Sailing Museum.
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A detailed model of the Earl of Wilton.
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A model of the famous HMS Victory ship.
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A wax figure of Sir Thomas Lipton, a well-known tea merchant and yachtsman.
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A wall display inside the museum, featuring text and pictures about sailing history.
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A wax figure of Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, a famous yacht designer.
