Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum facts for kids
| "Take a voyage of discovery" | |
Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum
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| Established | 1983 |
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| Location | Regatta Avenue, Ballina, New South Wales, Australia |
| Type | Local maritime history museum |
| Key holdings | Las Balsas raft |
| Founder | Roy Kilner |
| Owner | Operated by Ballina Naval & Maritime Museum |
| Nearest parking | Yes |
The Ballina Naval & Maritime Museum is an exciting place in Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. It's a museum all about the history of the sea and ships in the local area. You can learn about brave sailors and amazing sea adventures! Many of the people who started this museum, and some of the volunteers today, used to serve in the Royal Australian Navy. The museum has awesome displays and detailed models that show off the history of the Australian Navy and navies from other countries too.
You can find the museum on Regatta Avenue, right behind the Ballina Tourist Information Centre. This museum is famous for having one of the three original Las Balsas rafts. It also has the biggest collection of naval and merchant ship models in all of Australia!
What Can You See at the Museum?
The museum has lots of cool things to explore, including:
- The real Las Balsas raft, which sailed across the Pacific Ocean.
- Displays about the history of the Port of Ballina and the local area.
- A special tribute to women who have served in the Navy.
- Fun, interactive displays, like one about the old ship, the SS Wollongbar.
- DVD showings where you can watch interesting videos.
- A working triple expansion steam engine, which is a type of old engine that powered ships.
- A Mark 9 21" Torpedo, a type of underwater weapon.
- Many amazing model ships, showing different kinds of vessels.
The Incredible Las Balsas Raft
In 1973, something amazing happened! The Las Balsas rafts were towed into Ballina by fishing boats. They had just completed an incredible journey all the way from Ecuador! One of these rafts is now kept safe at the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum.
The sailors on the rafts had originally planned to land in Mooloolaba in Queensland. However, ocean currents pushed them off course, bringing them to Ballina instead. Their journey was almost twice as long as the famous Kon-Tiki expedition from 1947. This incredible trip proved that people could have traveled across the Pacific Ocean on rafts thousands of years ago!
Gallery
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The Las Balsas raft at the Ballina Naval and Maritime Museum
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A model of a Dutch Indiaman, a type of old trading ship.
See also
- List of museums in New South Wales
- List of maritime museums
