Australian National Maritime Museum

Covering Australia’s maritime history from pre-colonial times to the present, the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney has an excellent collection of ships and artefacts on display. The most obvious displays are the ships and boats of the heritage fleet docked on Darling Harbour, but those inside also deserve a lot of attention.

Indigenous Watercraft

As the oldest users of the Australian coast and waterways, a large section is devoted to indigenous watercraft and heritage. Displays of canoes from around Australia and the Torres Strait are on display.

Kay Cottee and Blackmores First Lady

In 1989, Kay Cottee became the first woman to circumnavigate the world alone, without stopping, without assistance, by way of both hemispheres and the five southernmost capes. It took her 189 days in Blackmores First Lady, in a time before Social Media and with poor communications.

Visitors are able to enter the boat and experience how small it is. Getting on board really makes you realise what an incredible achievement it was.

Model Ships

One section of the Museum has beautifully made ship models relevant to Australia. As the museum is based in Sydney most of the Royal Australian Navy’s shops named HMAS Sydney are displayed. The largest and most impressive is the aircraft carrier, which has amazing detail.

Other models range from sailing ships to bulk iron ore carriers. All were important either for exploration or trade.

Other Exhibits

Interesting displays located throughout the museum include the ships bell from USS Canberra (AG-2) which was named after HMAS Canberra, a heavy cruiser sunk during the Second World War. A 40mm cannon from a Royal Australian Navy ship lets you get a close up look at this important anti-aircraft weapon.

HMAS Vampire

HMAS Vampire (II) D11 was a Daring class destroyer operated by the Royal Australian Navy.  Launched in 1959 and decommissioned in 1986. Entry to Vampire and the other ships is included in the ticket cost of the Maritime Museum (as of March 2024).

HMAS Onslow

HMAS Onslow was an Oberon class submarine of the Royal Australian Navy. Commissioned 1969 in and decommissioned in 1999. Walking through the submarine makes you realise how cramped the conditions are. This isn’t somewhere I would want to live months on end.

Historical Fleet

The historical fleet contains ships that have importance to Australia’s maritime heritage. Possibly the most impressive to still be preserved is the Krait. This ex-Japanese fishing boat was used by Australia Special Forces during the Second World War to sneak into Singapore Harbour where they damaged 37,000 tonnes of Japanese ships.