Sydney Heritage Fleet facts for kids
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| Established | 1965 |
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| Location | Wharf 7, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Heritage shipyard located at James Craig Road, Rozelle Bay. |
| Type | Historic ship collection |
| Owner | Sydney Maritime Museum Ltd. |
| Public transit access |
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The Sydney Heritage Fleet is a special group in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It's also known as Sydney Maritime Museum Ltd. They work to fix up and sail many old ships, like the amazing barque James Craig. In 2003, the James Craig even won a big award called the Maritime Heritage Award from the World Ship Trust!
You can find their main office, a workshop for models, some boats on display, and a library at Wharf 7 in Darling Harbour. The James Craig ship is usually docked right there. Their shipyard, where they fix the ships, is currently in Rozelle Bay. They are planning to move it to Berrys Bay to make more space.
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History of the Fleet
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The Sydney Heritage Fleet started as The Lady Hopetoun and Port Jackson Marine Steam Museum. In 1965, a group of people led by Warwick Turner created this museum. Their goal was to save the Lady Hopetoun, a special steam yacht from 1902.
Later, the group became known as the Sydney Maritime Museum Ltd. In 1998, they changed their public name to the Sydney Heritage Fleet. For a short time in 2003-2004, they used the name 'Australian Heritage Fleet'. Today, the Fleet has 10 historic vessels. This makes it one of the largest collections of its kind in the world!
How the Fleet Works
The Sydney Heritage Fleet has about 1,200 members. They also have over 15 paid workers and 200 volunteers. These dedicated people work to restore, operate, and take care of the ships. They also help keep old maritime skills and traditions alive.
Besides the 10 main vessels, the Fleet has 55 smaller historic boats. They are also working on fixing up many old marine engines. The Fleet also has a collection of over fifty model ships. They keep a large research library with photos, ship plans, and old journals. This library is not open to the public.
The Fleet gets its money from donations and membership fees. They also earn money by offering ship charters and tours.
Ships You Can See Sailing
The James Craig
The James Craig is a large ship with three masts and an iron body. It was built in 1874 in Sunderland, England. Its first name was Clan Macleod. This ship carried cargo all over the world. It sailed around Cape Horn 23 times in 26 years!
In 1900, Mr. J. J. Craig bought the ship. He renamed it James Craig in 1905. It then sailed between New Zealand and Australia until 1911. In September 2023, the ship needed urgent repairs to stay afloat.
The Waratah
The Waratah is a tugboat that uses coal for power. It was launched in Sydney on May 22, 1902. Its first name was Burunda. This tugboat was used to pull dredges and barges. It worked in different ports along the New South Wales coast.
The Lady Hopetoun
The Lady Hopetoun is a special steam launch from 1902. It was named after the wife of Australia's Governor-General, Lady Hopetoun. The ship was built in Sydney and launched on April 10.
The Boomerang
The Boomerang is a schooner from 1903. It was first launched as the Bona on September 24. A famous Sydney ship designer named Walter Reeks created it.
- Protex is a motor launch from 1908 that worked in the inner harbour.
- Harman is a workboat and passenger motor boat from 1947. It used to belong to the Royal Australian Navy.
- Berrima is a workboat and passenger motor boat from 1954 that worked in Botany Bay.
- Bronzewing (1968) and Currawong (1969) are Bronzewing-class harbour tugs. They are on loan from the Royal Australian Navy. These tugs help move the James Craig or other steamships when they are not under steam.
Ships Being Restored
The John Oxley
The John Oxley is a steamship. It used to be a pilot boat and helped with buoys. The ship was built in Scotland in 1927 for the Queensland government. It was relaunched in April 2022. Because of a lot of rust over the last 40 years, the ship will be almost completely new, just like the James Craig.
The Kanangra
The Kanangra is a ferry from 1912 that belonged to [Sydney Ferries Limited]. It has a steel body and a wooden upper part. The steel plating and frame of the hull need to be fully replaced. This is because it was not taken care of for many years.
The Kookaburra II
This is a wooden speedboat from the 1950s.
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