Australian National Maritime Museum

Australian National Maritime Museum The Australian National Maritime Museum is Australia’s national centre for maritime collections, exhibitions, research and archaeology.
(3062)

Australia's National Maritime Museum located on Gadigal Country, Sydney 🐳 We share stories of the sea and waterways | FREE ENTRY

We encourage respectful and relevant discussions and have a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination or bullying. The museum presents a changing program of stimulating exhibitions and events to share Australia’s maritime history and connect the stories, objects, people a

nd places that are part of our country’s narrative. Visit us online:
www.sea.museum

Stay in the know and subscribe to our newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/bfes-z

View our Social Media Community Guidelines:
https://www.sea.museum/community-guidelines

🗺️ Feel like you’ve seen this before? ⚓️Today’s headlines are dominated by shipping disruptions and merchant crews held ...
24/06/2026

🗺️ Feel like you’ve seen this before? ⚓️

Today’s headlines are dominated by shipping disruptions and merchant crews held captive in the Strait of Hormuz. Behind the cargo numbers are ordinary people navigating extraordinary danger just to do their jobs.

Today is , and this year’s theme highlights a stark reality: “Carrying world trade. Carrying the risks.”

Look back to August 1941. Long before today's headlines, the armed merchant cruiser HMS Kanimbla led the charge to protect shipping lanes. Originally built as a civilian passenger liner for Australian coastal trade by McIlwraith McEacharn & Co., the vessel had been converted for war and commissioned into the Royal Navy.

Under British command, HMS Kanimbla led a daring Allied raid to capture the strategic Iranian port of Bandar Shahpur preventing Axis control, securing vital supply lines, and rescuing the merchant crews caught in the conflict. (The veteran ship was later recommissioned into the Royal Australian Navy as HMAS Kanimbla (I) in 1943).

This Day of the Seafarer, we honour the bravery and sacrifices of both historical and modern mariners who face the ultimate risks on the water. 🚢

Swipe through to explore archival images taken from Kanimbla of this historic event. 📸👇

🏛️ Challenging ANZAC: Author Talk this SaturdayFor over a century, the ANZAC legend has defined how Australia remembers ...
24/06/2026

🏛️ Challenging ANZAC: Author Talk this Saturday

For over a century, the ANZAC legend has defined how Australia remembers war. But many profound, difficult experiences have been left out of the frame.

This Saturday, join award-winning oral historian Dr Mia Martin Hobbs (Deakin University) and PhD researcher Max Billington as they unpack Challenging Anzac—a powerful new collection exploring the forgotten or hidden sides of Australia's military history. From anti-war veteran activism to the stories of servicemen affected by nuclear testing on Australian soil, this conversation looks at the gap between the myth and the reality of conflict.

Stick around after the talk to grab a copy and get it signed by the authors! ✍️📖

🗓️ Saturday 27 June, 11 AM - 12:30 PM
🎟️ Free entry. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/author-talk-challenging-anzac-tickets-1985961835310?

📸 THE WINNERS ARE IN! 🌊We were blown away by the incredible talent in our Kids Nature Photography Competition. With near...
23/06/2026

📸 THE WINNERS ARE IN! 🌊

We were blown away by the incredible talent in our Kids Nature Photography Competition. With nearly 400 entries, our judges had an incredibly tough job narrowing down the standouts!

A massive thank you to every young photographer who entered and a huge thank you to OM System for sponsoring this competition and supporting our future ocean storytellers! 🙌📸

Swipe through to see our brilliant winners and finalists:
🏆 THE WINNERS
🔹 Under 7: Bailey
🔹 8–11 Years: Otis
🔹 12–16 Years: Amelia

⭐️ THE FINALISTS
Under 7: Chloe, Corvin, Marcus, Nirvaan, Queenie
8–11: Archer, Grace, Kaysanne, Stirling, Winter
12–16: Arlo, Dan, Billy, Oscar, Zenn

See the full gallery here: https://www.sea.museum/en/about/visitor-information/announcing-winners-of-the-om-kids-photo-competition

Is anyone else already planning their next weekend? 🙋‍♀️If you are a bit of a history buff or just love a good mystery, ...
22/06/2026

Is anyone else already planning their next weekend? 🙋‍♀️

If you are a bit of a history buff or just love a good mystery, we have your Saturday afternoon sorted.

We are hosting a fascinating talk diving into the incredible life, legacy, and ultimate vanishing act of Captain Cook’s famous ship, HMB Endeavour. 🔍⚓

Most of us know about its epic voyages, but what actually happened to it afterwards? It turns out it lived a whole double life under different names before completely disappearing. Our brilliant speaker, Gillian Lewis, is going to unpick the detective work and maritime archaeology that finally tracked down its shipwreck in Rhode Island back in 2022.

It is the perfect excuse to head down to Darling Harbour, grab a coffee and dive into some great storytelling.

🗓️ When: Saturday 27 June | 2pm to 3:30 pm
Tixs: Only $10 (and FREE for our museum members!)
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/speakers-talk-hmb-endeavour-history-legacy-the-search-for-its-wreck-tickets-1989965536488?

⚓ SUNDAY READ: The South Coast streets hiding a luxury maritime secret Ever noticed that every street name in the South ...
20/06/2026

⚓ SUNDAY READ: The South Coast streets hiding a luxury maritime secret

Ever noticed that every street name in the South Coast estate of Orient Point begins with the letter ‘O’?
It turns out these roads are a 1917 time capsule of global maritime history.

In this feature, our own Inger Sheil dives into the history of the Orient Steam Navigation Company. More than a century ago, these massive luxury ocean liners like the SS Orama and RMS Ormonde were a regular sight along the NSW coast. When developer Henry F. Halloran established the estate, he was so captivated by these symbols of an emerging nation that he named an entire neighbourhood after them.

Pour a cuppa and sink into this incredible story:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-14/orient-point-streets-named-after-historical-ocean-liners/106659906

To honour Refugee Week, our brand-new exhibition Voyage to Freedom: The story of Tự do is now open. 🕊️✨Step into the pow...
20/06/2026

To honour Refugee Week, our brand-new exhibition Voyage to Freedom: The story of Tự do is now open. 🕊️✨

Step into the powerful, true story of Tự do (Freedom), the wooden fishing boat that carried 31 Vietnamese refugees on an incredible journey to Darwin in 1977.

At the heart of this intimate exhibition are moving oral histories collected by the museum over the last three decades. Sit, listen and reflect on firsthand accounts from family members and friends, surrounded by the deeply personal objects they carried with them from a family compass to a kitchen frying pan brought across the ocean.

Tự do represents a broader human search for safety, freedom, and the courage it takes to leave everything behind to begin again.

🗓️ When: Open now until 11 October 2026
💰 Free entry

Come experience a vital piece of our shared migration history.

https://www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/exhibitions/voyage-to-freedom-the-story-of-tu-do

THE VIKING KIDS ARE COMING ⏳ Take the hassle out of winter planning for school holidays! We are making it easy for you t...
19/06/2026

THE VIKING KIDS ARE COMING ⏳

Take the hassle out of winter planning for school holidays! We are making it easy for you to keep the kids entertained with an epic, action-packed adventure at the museum from 5 to 19 July. ❄️🚀

From massive LEGO builds to historic ships, everything you need for a perfect family day out is all in one place. Swipe through the tiles to see what is on these school holidays 👇

🧱 LEGO Bricktropolis Viking Village: Build your own custom masterpieces or contribute to the giant Mysteries of Midgard mosaic.
🧪 Kids on Deck Maker Space: Dive into interactive science experiments and creative artmaking.
🎨 Bamal Gallery Book Nook: Discover unique cultural crafting inspired by Torres Strait Islander artist Brian Robinson.
⚓ Vessels & Trails: Climb aboard our historic fleet, explore rare artifacts in the Treasures of the Viking Age exhibition, and hunt for clues on the Museum Treasures Activity Trail.

Stay warm, beat the boredom and enjoy a stress-free day out.

👉 Click the link below to view the full schedule!
https://www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/events/winter-school-holidays

✨ Get ready to make some statement jewellery! ✨This NAIDOC Week, join Kristy Dickinson, the proud Wiradjuri designer beh...
19/06/2026

✨ Get ready to make some statement jewellery! ✨

This NAIDOC Week, join Kristy Dickinson, the proud Wiradjuri designer behind the iconic Haus of Dizzy, for an exclusive jewellery-making workshop at the museum. 💖

Create your own bold badge, earrings, or keychain using vibrant materials from the Haus of Dizzy studio.

🗓️ When: Saturday 4 July
⏰ Sessions:
• Session 1 (Kids 6 to 14 years): 11am to 12.30pm
• Session 2 (Open age, 15+ to Adult): 1.30pm to 3pm
📍 Where: Australian National Maritime Museum
💰 Cost: $70 General | $60 Members / Earlybird

Your ticket includes:
🛠️ All premium tools and materials
🎟️ Free entry to the museum and special exhibitions
🥤 Light refreshments

No experience needed. Spaces are strictly limited and bookings are essential.
👉 www.eventbrite.com.au/e/workshop-jewellery-making-with-haus-of-dizzy-tickets-1989193779141?

19/06/2026

Let’s ease into the weekend with some satisfying restoration work! ✨

​Meet David, one of our wonderful volunteers, putting in the hard yards to sand the 1900-built Steam Yacht Ena before her next coat of varnish. 🪵⚓

​Keeping our historic fleet in pristine, seaworthy condition takes an absolute village. We couldn't do it without the passion and dedication of our amazing volunteer community. Thank you, David! ❤️

​ ShipRestoration

Pack the rug and the esky - it’s Picnic Day! 🧺☀️If there is one thing Australians have perfected over the generations, i...
18/06/2026

Pack the rug and the esky - it’s Picnic Day! 🧺☀️

If there is one thing Australians have perfected over the generations, it’s the art of the perfect waterside picnic. Whether it’s a family barbecue at the beach, a quiet lunch by a winding river, or a fully loaded wicker hamper on a sunny hillside, our connection to the water has always shaped how we relax, unwind and come together.

From vintage lunch spreads to afternoon boat trips, our collection is packed with incredible snapshots of classic Australian leisure by the sea. 🌊⚓

Check out some of our favourite historic picnic moments from the archives or search for https://collections.sea.museum/search/picnic

Where is your absolute favourite spot to set up a picnic rug by the water? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Address

2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour
Sydney, NSW
2000

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Australian National Maritime Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category