South Australian Maritime Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1986 |
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| Location | Port Adelaide, South Australia |
| Type | Maritime museum |
The South Australian Maritime Museum is a super cool place where you can explore the history of the sea in South Australia! It's part of the History Trust of South Australia. This museum first opened its doors in 1986. You'll find it in some really old and interesting buildings in Port Adelaide. This area is special because it was South Australia's very first heritage precinct.
Contents
What You Can See and Do
The museum has amazing exhibitions inside two old stone buildings. These buildings were once bond stores, built way back in the 1850s.
Climb a Lighthouse
One of the coolest things you can do is climb the Port Adelaide Lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in 1869. It used to stand at the entrance to the Port River, guiding ships safely.
Boat Trips
- Archie Badenoch: School groups can take special cruises on this naval launch. It was built in 1942.
- Yelta: Sometimes, the public can also enjoy trips on the steam tug Yelta. This tugboat was built in 1949.
Fun Programs and Events
The museum always has something new happening! They offer:
- Changing exhibitions with different themes.
- Tours of the museum and the Torrens Island Quarantine Station.
- Fun performances during school holidays.
- Special programs just for schools.
- Events like historic dinners, music, and theatre shows.
It's known for being an interactive museum with creative and exciting programs.
What the Exhibitions Are About
The museum's exhibitions cover many interesting topics about the sea:
- Exploration: Learn about explorers like Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin. They explored the southern coast of Australia.
- Immigrants: Discover what it was like for people coming to Australia by sea. This includes stories from the 1830s, 1910s, and 1950s.
- Life at Sea: See how health and medicine were managed on ships.
- Naval History: Explore the history of South Australia's own navy in the 1800s.
- World Wars: Learn about the role of the sea during the big wars of the 1900s.
- Ketch Traders: Find out about the "Mosquito Fleet" of small sailing ships. These ketch traders served southern ports for many years.
- Port Life: See what daily life was like in the port.
- Dolphins: Learn about the amazing Port River dolphins and their environment.
Special Artifacts
One very special item is Matthew Flinders' "Best Bower" anchor. This anchor was lost in 1803. It was found again by the Underwater Explorers Club in 1973.
Historic Buildings
The museum also looks after other old buildings nearby. These include the Weman Sailmakers loft, built in 1864. Their offices are in the former Commercial Bank building from 1888. Both are on Lipson Street, right across from the main museum.
Amazing Collections
The Maritime Museum has a huge collection of items. This collection started way back in 1872 by the Port Adelaide Institute. It's now the oldest nautical collection in Australia!
What's in the Collection?
Today, the museum has over 20,000 objects! These items tell stories about important sea voyages and everyday life. Some cool things you can see include:
- Captain Cook’s travelling chest.
- A plaque Matthew Flinders left at Memory Cove in 1802. It was to remember sailors who were lost at sea.
- A trophy Hilda Harvey won for a swimming race in the Port in 1930.
- The boots that belonged to a ketch skipper named Skug Cutler.
Strengths of the Collection
The museum is especially strong in certain areas:
- Exploration: It has objects from the voyages of Macassan seafarers, Nicolas Baudin, Matthew Flinders, and John Franklin.
- Colonial Navy: Learn about South Australia's early navy. This includes the group that took HMCS Protector to the Boxer Rebellion in 1900.
- Figureheads: The museum has 17 figureheads. These are the carved figures that used to be on the front of old sailing ships. It's the biggest collection in Australia! The oldest one is from the Ville de Bourdeaux, built in 1836.
- Other Collections: There are also great collections of old swimwear, items from the Adelaide Steamship Company, and things from the "Gulf Trip" tours. You can also see items from the grain trade. This was when huge windjammers sailed around Cape Horn to deliver wheat and barley to Europe.
- Underwater Finds: The museum also has a large collection of items found underwater. These were transferred from the South Australian government's Heritage Unit.
Special Exhibitions
In 2016, the museum hosted a special exhibition. It celebrated the French explorer Nicolas Baudin's voyage from 1800 to 1804. This exhibition traveled around Australia. Baudin mapped the southern coast of Australia and met Matthew Flinders at Encounter Bay.
Museum Vessels
The Maritime Museum offers cruises on two of its vessels: the steam tug Yelta and the navy work boat Archie Badenoch.
Yelta
The Yelta was built in 1949 at Cockatoo Island Dockyard. It has a steam engine that was originally made for a warship.
Archie Badenoch
The Archie Badenoch was built in 1942 for the Royal Australian Navy. Later, it became South Australia's police rescue boat.
Oldest Vessels
The oldest vessels in the museum's collection are:
- The timber ketch Annie Watt, built in 1870.
- The iron trader Nelcebee, which arrived from Scotland in pieces and was put together in Port Adelaide in 1883.
Both of these old ships are stored on land.
Other Boats
The collection also includes:
- Sir James Hardy’s championship sailing dinghies.
- Fishing cutters.
- A naval whaler.
Images for kids
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The steam tug Yelta
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The Archie Badenoch
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The ketch Nelcebee
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The steam tug Fearless
See also
- HMS Investigator Anchors
