Queensland Maritime Museum

Infobox Museum
name = Queensland Maritime Museum


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established = 1971
location = Brisbane, Australia
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visitors = 35,000 visitors per annumcite web |url=http://www.maritimemuseum.com.au/ |title= Queensland Maritime Museum |accessdate=2007-08-19 |format= |work= ]
director = Ian Jempson
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website = [http://www.maritimemuseum.com.au/ Queensland Maritime Museum] The Queensland Maritime Museum is located on the southern bank of the Brisbane River just south of the South Bank Parklands precinct of Brisbane, and close to the Goodwill Bridge.

The museum was founded in 1971 and contains a two level exhibition building presenting historic sailing ship models together with merchant shipping from early cargo ships to modern container ships, tankers and cruise liners. It is housed in the building used for the “Pavilion of Promise” at World Expo 88, and the South Brisbane Dry Dock which was built in the 1870s and was convert|313|ft|m|0 long and convert|60|ft|m|0 wide. In 1887 the dock was extended to convert|430|ft|m|0 due to the increasing size of vessels.

The museum also includes a library that stocks documents, pictures and other relevant artifacts relating to maritime history. There are several maps that show how early navigators created accurate charts.

Information is also provided about how lighthouse technology developed from the early oil wick burners to the modern equipment used in the present day. The lighthouse tower from the ex-Bulwar Island in Moreton Bay at the mouth of the Brisbane River where it operated from 1912 to 1983, is on display outside the Museum. It is a white, octagonal wooden tower covered with corrugated iron sheets, and the roof of lantern is red. [cite web |url=http://www.lighthousedepot.com/database/uniquelighthouse.cfm?value=3749 |title=Bulwer Island Light |accessdate=2007-08-19 |format= |work=Lighthouse Depot ]

Information is also provided about some of the 1,500 plus shipwrecks that have occurred along the Queensland coast including the Great Barrier Reef.

Vessels

The convert|121|ft|m|0 [ [http://www.maritimemuseum.com.au/Collections/forceful.htm "Forceful" specs] ] steam tug "Forceful", the only remaining working coal-fired steam tug in Queensland, is berthed at the Museum wharf and there are regular sailings down the Brisbane River. It was built in 1925 by Alex Stephen & Son Ltd., Glasgow, Scotland. In 1941 it was chartered by the government for service in the Middle East, but did not sale because Japan entered World War II. She was then requisitioned by the Royal Australian Navy and became known as HMAS "Forceful". She was armed with a 20mm Oerlikon Machine Gun and a .303" Vickers Machine Gun [cite web |url=http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/ran/hmasforceful.htm |title=Tug HMAS Forceful |accessdate=2007-08-19 |format= |work=Peter Dunn's Australia at War ] At present, she is laid up for repairs, estimated to reach around $250,000AUD. [http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2007/04/03/1888115.htm]

The HMAS "Diamantina" (a River Class Frigate) is in the South Brisbane Dry Dock (Graving Dock), and on board visitors can view the Museum's collection of Australian Naval memorabilia.

Another WW2 vessel located at the Museum is the Torres Strait pearling lugger "Penguin" which was used by the Americans during WW2, along with the dinghy from General Douglas MacArthur's motor Yacht "Shangri-La". [cite web |url=http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/museums/qmm.htm |title=Queensland Maritime Museum |accessdate=2007-08-19 |format= |work=Peter Dunn's Australia at War ]

Also visible is the Light Ship Carpentaria.

References

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.maritimemuseum.com.au/ Queensland Maritime Museum Website]
* [http://www.collectionsaustralia.net/org/1474/about Queensland Maritime Museum from Collections Australia Network]
* [http://www.hnsa.org/ships/forceful.htm HNSA Ship Page: SS "Forceful"]