41-460: The South Australian Maritime Museum is a state government museum, part of the History Trust of South Australia . The museum opened in 1986 in a collection of historic buildings in the heart of Port Adelaide , South Australia's first heritage precinct. The museum presents exhibitions in a pair of adjoining stone bond stores , built in the 1850s. It offers visitors the opportunity to climb
82-590: A "veterans' hub" in the Drill Hall. In February 2023 it was announced that the History Trust would be moving to a new home, on the second floor of a heritage-listed building called Security House (previously known as Kelvin House ), at 233 North Terrace . In April/May 2023 the History Trust will occupy the entire second floor of the building. As of 2019 , the History Trust of South Australia operates
123-640: A key role in sustaining the Royal Australian Navy . The dockyard was closed in 1991, and its remnants are heritage listed as the Cockatoo Island Industrial Conservation Area . It was established by the colonial Government of New South Wales , commencing operations in December 1857 with the opening of Fitzroy Dock . Planning had begun as early as May 1846, when Governor George Gipps had recommended
164-487: A naval whaler . History Trust of South Australia The History Trust of South Australia , sometimes referred to as History SA , was created as a statutory corporation by the History Trust of South Australia Act 1981 , to safeguard South Australia ’s heritage and to encourage research and public presentations of South Australian history. It operates three museums in the state: the Migration Museum ,
205-489: A new power station and sail loft. The workforce reached a peak during December 1919, at which time 4085 people were employed at the dockyard. A Royal Commission into the future of Garden Island and Cockatoo Island was held between 1919 and 1921. It recommended that Cockatoo Island cease shipbuilding activities, but continue to function as a maintenance and repair facility. This did not take place, but in September 1923
246-528: A part in developments. The History Trust also partners with other Australian museums to present exhibitions, manages a Community Museums Program and offers grants for research and writing, and puts on the annual South Australia’s History Festival as well as community events such as the Bay to Birdwood vintage car run. South Australia’s History Festival is a statewide event taking place in May each year, which promotes
287-400: A reputation as an interactive museum that delivers imaginative programming. Exhibitions focus on the exploration of the southern coast and the voyages of Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin , the experiences of immigrants coming to Australia in the 1830s, 1910s and 1950s, health and medicine at sea, the colonial navy of South Australia of the 19th century, the world wars of the 20th century,
328-452: A second and final time to 475 feet (144.8 m) in 1880. Numerous buildings were added to the site during the 1880s, including a Pump House, stores and accommodation for new machinery. It became apparent as early as 1870 that a larger dock would be needed due to the increasing size of ships, and Sutherland Dock was built from 1882 to 1890 at a cost of £267,825. Sutherland Dock, at 635 feet (193.5 m) long and 84 feet (25.6 m) wide,
369-736: A steam engine that had been built for a corvette but was left surplus when the war ended. Archie Badenoch was built by GMH's Birkenhead factory in 1942 for the Royal Australian Navy and was later used as South Australia's police rescue launch. The oldest vessels in the collection are the timber ketch Annie Watt that was built in 1870 and the iron trader Nelcebee that was shipped from Scotland in parts and launched in Port Adelaide's Inner Harbor in 1883. Both are stored on hard stand. The collection also includes Sir James Hardy ’s championship sailing dinghies, fishing cutters and
410-722: Is another strength including the contingent that took HMCS Protector to the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. The museum preserves 17 figureheads, the largest collection in Australia with the earliest being the Ville de Bourdeaux , built in 1836. The museum holds very good collections of vintage swimwear, material from the Adelaide Steamship Company , from the Gulf Trip that offered tours from 1906 to 1955, and
451-616: The Art Gallery of South Australia , the Courts Authority, Parliament House , Government House and private lenders. The exhibits are interactive and intended to appeal to all ages, with some explicitly aimed at engaging younger children. The Centre examines the history of South Australia by looking at key players and issues, showing how democracy evolved in SA, what it meant for Aboriginal Australians and how protests have played
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#1732772199503492-785: The History Trust of South Australia Act 1981 . This Act repealed the Constitutional Museum Act 1978 , but does not affect the operation of the South Australian Museum Act 1976 (which governs the South Australian Museum ), nor the later Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 or Heritage Places Act 1993 . The Board is responsible to the Minister and its functions are laid out in the Act, including: carrying out, or promoting, research relevant to
533-824: The National Motor Museum and the South Australian Maritime Museum . It runs the month-long South Australia's History Festival (previously SA History Week ) annually, and manages the Adelaidia and SA History Hub websites. It also manages, in collaboration with the State Library of South Australia , the Centre of Democracy . The Trust was established as a body corporate under the David Tonkin government in 1981 by
574-718: The Port Adelaide lighthouse that was built in 1869 and originally stood at the entrance to the Port River . Cruises are provided for school groups in the naval launch Archie Badenoch (built 1942) and periodically for the public in the steam tug Yelta (built 1949). The museum presents an active program of changing exhibitions, tours of the museum and of the Torrens Island Quarantine Station , vacation performances, schools programs and events including historic dinners, music and theatre. It has
615-541: The grain trade which delivered wheat and barley to Europe by windjammers rounding Cape Horn in sail up until 1949. It also holds an extensive maritime archaeology collection which has been transferred to it by the South Australian government's Heritage Unit. In 2016 the museum hosted the inaugural showing of a two-year national travelling exhibition from the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle du Havre , celebrating
656-672: The ketch traders that served southern ports from the 19th century to the 1960s, life in port, and the ecology of the Port River dolphins . Among its many artifacts is Matthew Flinders' "Best Bower" anchor , which was lost in 1803 and recovered by the Underwater Explorers Club in 1973. The Maritime Museum also preserves the Weman Sailmakers loft (1864), and has its offices in the former Commercial Bank building (1888), both in Lipson Street, across from
697-477: The Cockatoo Island Dockyard include : By the 1980s, much of the dockyard's machinery was obsolete and it was in need of a major and expensive upgrade were it to continue in operation. In 1987, the dockyard was listed as an asset to be sold following a review of defence facilities. The Commonwealth government announced that the dockyard lease would not be renewed beyond 1 January 1993, and that
738-452: The French explorer Nicolas Baudin's 1800—1804 voyage, which included his mapping of the southern coast of Australia, and his meeting with Matthew Flinders at Encounter Bay in present-day South Australia. The Maritime Museum provides cruises on two vessels: the steam tug Yelta and the navy work boat Archie Badenoch . Yelta was built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in 1949 and fitted with
779-699: The History Trust, along with content partners Wakefield Press , the State Library , the Art Gallery of South Australia and the Adelaide City Council Archives. Cockatoo Island Dockyard The Cockatoo Island Dockyard was a major dockyard in Sydney , Australia , based on Cockatoo Island . The dockyard was established in 1857 to maintain Royal Navy warships. It later built and repaired military and battle ships, and played
820-856: The Migration Museum in Kintore Avenue , the National Motor Museum at Birdwood and the South Australian Maritime Museum at Port Adelaide . It manages, in collaboration with the State Library of South Australia, the Centre of Democracy on the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, The Centre's gallery exhibits treasures from History Trust and State Library collections, as well as items on loan from State Records of South Australia ,
861-464: The colonial government, in addition to its role servicing British government vessels. It was initially administered by the superintendent of the adjacent prison, but was operated by the Department of Harbours and Rivers from 1864. The main machine workshop was upgraded in the same year. Fitzroy Dock was lengthened from 284 feet (86.6 m) to 400 feet (121.9 m) c. 1870, and extended for
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#1732772199503902-596: The construction of a dry dock at Cockatoo Island to the British government to service Royal Navy vessels. Construction had begun in 1851, with Captain Gother Mann as engineer-in-chief, and taken six years. It was known as the Government Dockyard – Biloela while in colonial control. Shipbuilding facilities, such as slipways and workshops, were also established, and the dockyard produced small vessels for
943-441: The dockyard was MS Empress of Australia , completed in 1965. A new agreement in 1972 meant that Cockatoo Island no longer had preferential treatment for Commonwealth work except submarines, which thereafter became a significant portion of the dockyard's business. The dockyard unsuccessfully tendered for several large naval shipbuilding projects following the new agreement. The ownership of Vickers Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd
984-666: The dockyard was transferred from the Navy to the Australian Commonwealth Shipping Board, and began operating on a commercial basis in addition to its naval work. However, a November 1927 High Court ruling held that the government could not compete for open contracts against private enterprise, resulting in the loss of a major contract for the Bunnerong Power Station . A further economic downturn in 1928 further affected dockyard work, and
1025-495: The dockyard. The dockyard was again extensively upgraded between 1904 and 1908, with the construction of a steel foundry, extension of existing workshops, construction of two new slipways, and additional steel-working facilities and cantilevered cranes. The Royal Australian Navy was established in 1911. HMAS Warrego , initially built in Glasgow but dismantled, shipped to Australia and reassembled at Cockatoo Island, became
1066-548: The first Australian naval vessel built there. It was still in New South Wales ownership at the time. Sutherland Dock was widened in 1911, and the biggest slipway on the dockyard, Slipway No. 1, was built in 1912, as well as a plate shop. The Commonwealth then purchased the Cockatoo Island Dockyard from the New South Wales Government, with the transfer taking place from 31 January 1913, although
1107-540: The formal agreement was not signed until 1915. The Commonwealth paid £867,716.19 for the dockyard. It was then renamed the Commonwealth Naval Dockyard, Cockatoo Island . It built many ships for both naval and civilian purposes in Commonwealth ownership. World War I saw an increase in work for the shipyard, which had built over 50 ships and repaired or converted more than 150 by the end of
1148-552: The history of the State; accumulating and classifying data on any subject of significance to the history of the State; accumulating and caring for objects of historical interest; exhibiting objects of historical or cultural interest; maintaining registers of objects of historical significance to the State; managing museums and other premises placed under the care of the Trust, and several other functions. One of its first responsibilities
1189-534: The impact of the Great Depression saw workers decrease from 1,300 in 1928 to 560 in 1932. In 1935, following a period where the dockyard struggled financially, it was leased to a private company, the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company . The lease allowed the dockyard to take on various heavy industrial projects outside of shipbuilding, and although priority remained with naval work under
1230-403: The island would be sold. New contracts in negotiation were largely cancelled, and operations thereafter largely focused on completing existing contracts. The last submarine to be refitted at Cockatoo Island was HMAS Orion , handed back to the government on 4 June 1991. The dockyard was decommissioned on 31 December 1991. Many buildings and wharves were demolished following the closure of
1271-502: The majority of shares in the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company, and Vickers Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Pty Ltd, formed in 1948, would formally operate the dockyard for the remainder of its existence. The old Sutherland Wharf was upgraded between c. 1962 and 1965, and a new Sutherland Wharf built in 1971, with new submarine refit facilities opened in the same year. The last major commercial contract undertaken by
South Australian Maritime Museum - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-582: The museum. The Maritime Museum builds on the legacy of previous organisations including the Port Adelaide Institute. The museum holds in trust, a collection that the institute founded in 1872 and is now the oldest nautical collection in Australia. Today, the museum's collection includes more than 20,000 objects that represent voyages that shaped the map and moments that shaped daily life. The collection includes Captain Cook ’s travelling chest,
1353-684: The owners' agreement with the government, to conduct substantial commercial shipping work. The new heavy engineering aspect saw it also building machinery for mines and dams, later to include the Snowy Mountains Scheme . The shipyard again saw a substantial increase in work during World War II . It was the main ship repair base in the South Pacific for a period following the Fall of Singapore . 19 new ships were built and major repairs undertaken on 40 Allied warships. Over £400,000
1394-484: The plaque that Matthew Flinders left at Memory Cove in 1802 to mourn the loss of seafarers, the trophy that Hilda Harvey won for the 1930 Swim Through the Port, and the boots that once belonged to ketch skipper Skug Cutler. Exploration is one of the strengths of the collection with objects from the voyages of Macassan seafarers , Nicolas Baudin , Matthew Flinders, and John Franklin . The colonial navy of South Australia
1435-561: The position of Arts Minister was abolished and it was moved, along with Carclew , Patch Theatre Company and Windmill Theatre Company , to the Department of Education. In July 2019, the state budget slashed funding to the History Trust, Carclew and Windmill, as part of "operational efficiency" cuts. The offices of the History Trust were at the Torrens Parade Ground for 18 years, before temporarily relocating to 77 Grenfell Street as various organisations wished to create
1476-496: The state's historical collections, places and stories, through hundreds of events, including talks, tours, walks, workshops, exhibitions and special events. The Festival began in 2004 as SA History Week, growing year on year until it becoming a month-long festival in 2011, and is As of 2019 one of South Australia's largest community events. The History Trust is sometimes referred to as History SA. The SA History Hub and Adelaidia websites were created and are being developed by
1517-414: The war. It fitted out transports capable of conveying over 120,000 officers and men and 17,000 horses, and handled nearly 2,000 dockings. Many new facilities were established to accommodate the increased need, including a cruiser wharf, new bolt workshop, brass foundry, ship fitting workshop, coppersmith's workshop, timber store, electrical workshop, tool room and store, electrical workshop, plater's shed, and
1558-459: Was said to be the largest dock in the world at completion. Its size allowed it to cater to the larger Royal Navy vessels. Facilities at the shipyard were expanded significantly in the 1890s following the opening of Sutherland Dock, taking up a larger proportion of Cockatoo Island. Although the Federation of Australia took place in 1901, the New South Wales government remained in ownership of
1599-504: Was spent on upgrades during the war, including a new turbine shop, brass foundry, plater's shed, welding workshop and slipway. The construction of the turbine shop and foundry had required extensive excavation of the cliff face, with the excavated rock then used to reclaim land for further facilities. A new motor transport system was also instigated during the war. Following the war, the shipyard then engaged in refitting naval vessels for commercial service. In 1947, Vickers Limited gained
1640-620: Was the care of Constitutional Museum, Australia's first political museum, later known as Old Parliament House , before reverting to use by the South Australian Parliament in 1995. From 2013, the History Trust has been a member of the Federation of Australian Historical Societies. Reporting to the Minister for the Arts, the Trust's funding and oversight was the responsibility of Arts South Australia until 2018, when
1681-495: Was transferred to a new company, Vickers Australia Pty Ltd, in 1978. It merged with the Commonwealth Steel Company to form Comsteel Vickers in 1984, and the combined company was sold to Australian National Industries in 1986. The last ship to be built at the dockyard was HMAS Success , then the largest naval vessel built in Australia, which launched on 3 March 1984. Marine vessels laid down at