Australian National Maritime Museum

THE VISION

Australians have always had close links with the sea. In 1975 a museums inquiry commissioned by the Australian Government recommended that '...priority be given to a national maritime museum in Sydney'. In 1984 an ambitious Darling Harbour redevelopment program was unveiled. The museum would stand adjacent to the historic 1903 Pyrmont Bridge, now a pedestrian link to the city.

Prominent Australian architect Philip Cox AO designed the museum building and construction started in 1986. Prime Minister Bob Hawke opened the Australian National Maritime Museum on 29 November 1991. US President George Bush, with Australia's new Prime Minister Paul Keating, dedicated the museum's USA Gallery on 1 January 1992. HM Queen Elizabeth visited the museum in February 1992.

BUILDING THE NATIONAL MARITIME COLLECTION

Well before work started on the main building museum staff, in temporary offices, were starting to assemble the new National Maritime Collectionand planning the initial core exhibitions. The distinctive collection took shape over five years through purchases, gifts and transfers from other Commonwealth collections.

The Royal Australian Navy presented two vessels: Daring Class destroyer Vampire and Attack Class patrol boat Advance. Historic yachts came as bicentennial gifts from New Zealand and Norway. A maritime historian donated his private library – the foundation of our research library which began serving the public and staff from 1986. It would later be named the Vaughan Evans Library in honour of its benefactor.

The museum struck out in a new direction when it received, again as a bicentennial gift, a generous grant from the Congress of the United States of America. Funding went to the establishment of the museum's innovative USA Gallery and its exhibitions that illuminate the maritime links, past and present, between Australia and America. The grant also funds research into this shared maritime history and the development of the USA Gallery collection. Here we show exhibitions that illuminate the maritime cultural connections between our two countries.