Exhibitions

Remarkable – Stories of Australians and their boats

April 2021–January 2023

WITH OVER A THOUSAND rivers and a coast that stretches more than 36,000 kilometres, it is no surprise that Australia’s history abounds with stories of people who have lived and worked on the water. Every town holds many stories of local people and their vessels: tales of tragedy, survival, heroism, discovery, adventure or love. It is these stories that give a unique insight into the lives of individuals and their communities. Remarkable – Stories of Australians and their boats is a graphic panel display produced by the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Australian Maritime Museum Council (AMMC). It is the result of a national project in which workshops were held across the country to develop and source unique stories. Forty-six stories were nominated by a panel of Australian maritime museums and heritage institutions, with the 12 most compelling stories selected. These include those of lesser-known maritime significance that illustrate the remarkable connections that people and communities have with boats of various types: from Indigenous watercrafts and leisure vessels, to those used for migration and service in war. Remarkable continues a program developed by the Australian National Maritime Museum and the AMMC to support and increase collaboration between maritime museums and heritage centres across the country. It was made possible thanks to the efforts of the passionate staff and volunteers of museums, historical societies, discovery centres and AMMC members across the country. The tour of this exhibition has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia Program.

A rescue team in action in Charters Towers Road, Townsville. Image Evan Morgan, used with permission of the Townsville Bulletin

A Mile in My Shoes Extended until 30 April

A Mile in My Shoes by the Empathy Museum is a shoe shop where visitors are invited to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes – literally. This roaming international exhibition holds a diverse collection of shoes and audio stories that explore our shared humanity. The Maritime Museum’s version gives voice to Australia’s diverse refugee and immigrant stories. Visitors are invited to take an empathetic and physical journey by walking a mile in a stranger’s shoes while listening to their story. sea.museum/a-mile Haenyeo: the sea women of Jeju Island From 8 March

The haenyeo are communities of Korean women who dive for hours at a time to harvest food from the sea floor. For generation after generation, they have performed this skilled, physical and dangerous work in all conditions and weathers. Large-scale photographic portraits by Korean artist Hyungsun Kim explore the human face of this centuries-old, sustainable sea harvest. sea.museum/haenyeo Beach Couture Until 18 April

Beach Couture is a collection of wearable artworks made from rubbish by artist and environmentalist Marina DeBris. Collected from beaches and oceans in Sydney and Los Angeles, it makes visible, in grotesquely amusing fashion, what is often overlooked – but shouldn’t be. The exhibition also features the wildly subversive Inconvenience Store, which repackages single-use ‘convenience’ items found washed up on beaches. sea.museum/beach-couture

Mariw Minaral (Spiritual Patterns) Now showing

For the first time, we bring together works by Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Islands) artist Alick Tipoti, respected for his work in regenerating cultural knowledge and language. Tipoti’s storytelling encompasses traditional cosmology, marine environments and ocean conservation – focusing on what it means to be a sea person. Mariw Minaral showcases Tipoti’s linocuts, award-winning sculptural works, contemporary masks and film. sea.museum/mariw-minaral

Mariw Minaral exhibition view. Image Andrew Frolows/ANMM Map It! From 27 March

Undertake a quest across land, sea and space to explore the role of mapping and navigation in everyday life. Visitors will find seven ‘quest’ stations to solve puzzles and collect different parts of their own map, which can then be viewed and brought to life through augmented reality. The exhibition also has direct links to the Australian Curriculum. For children aged 5–12 years and their families. Exhibition developed by SciTech and produced by Imagine Exhibitions sea.museum/map-it Wildlife Photographer of the Year 56 From April

This world-renowned exhibition features 100 awe-inspiring images, from fascinating animal behaviour to breathtaking landscapes. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photographic event of its kind, providing a global platform that has showcased the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights for more than 55 years. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. sea.museum/wildlife

Late delivery © Catherine Dobbins d’Alessio/ Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Duyfken replica Now on display

We are pleased to announce that following negotiations with the Duyfken Foundation in Western Australia, the museum has assumed ownership and management of Duyfken, the replica of the ship in which Willem Janszoon arrived at Cape York in 1606. Twilight sails on Duyfken will soon be available for bookings. Please check our website for more information. sea.museum/duyfken Dark Victory – Operation Jaywick Mandurah Community Museum, City of Mandurah, Western Australia 7–28 April

To commemorate this daring raid on Japanese-occupied Singapore Harbour in 1943, fleet staff and curators from the Australian National Maritime Museum returned Krait to its World War II configuration. The museum then joined forces with the National Museum of Singapore to produce a wide-screen film about Operation Jaywick and a virtual-reality experience that will take people ‘on board’ the historic vessel. The exhibition also includes 11 banners with content on the lead-up to the raid and the personnel involved. It will be supplemented with collection material from the Special Air Service Historical Foundation in Western Australia. James Cameron – Challenging the Deep Durham Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, USA 22 May–September

In an exhibition that integrates two worlds of modern museums – the power of the artefact and the thrill of experience – visitors will encounter the deep-ocean discoveries, technical innovations and scientific and creative achievements of underwater explorer James Cameron. Created by the Australian National Maritime’s USA Programs and supported by the USA Bicentennial Gift Fund Produced in association with Avatar Alliance Foundation and toured internationally by Flying Fish flyingfishexhibits.com/cameron

Travelling Exhibitions Cats and Dogs: All at Sea – Photographs by Samuel Hood Bass Strait Maritime Centre, Devonport, TAS Now showing

Dogs, cats, monkeys and birds have been cherished on board ships for as long as people have made sea voyages. In a life from which children and families were usually missing, pets provided an important source of comfort and affection. Photographer Samuel Hood boarded hundreds of ships between the 1900s and 1950s that were moored in Sydney Harbour. He took thousands of photographs of crew members – and their pets – as a souvenir of their visit and to send home to families and loved ones. sea.museum/cats-and-dogs Sea Monsters – Prehistoric ocean predators Queensland Museum, Brisbane Until 3 May

An exhibition combining real fossils, gigantic replicas, multimedia and hands-on experiences to reveal ancient monsters of the deep. Find out how three main types of ancient reptiles – ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and mosasaurs – left the land to rule the seas. In the oceans, they developed into awesome, enormous predators that make today’s great white sharks seem almost friendly! sea.museum/sea-monsters-travelling

Image Andrew Frolows/ANMM Submerged: Stories of Australia’s Shipwrecks Touring community museums and libraries throughout Australia Until 30 June

The Australian Maritime Museums Council (AMMC) and the Australian National Maritime Museum partnered to develop the graphic panel display Submerged: Stories of Australia’s Shipwrecks. Content was developed by AMMC members at maritime heritage organisations across the country and merged into a nationally touring display by the museum. This display is supported by Visions of Australia sea.museum/submerged

Dates listed for onsite and travelling exhibitions are subject to COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines, and may change at short notice. Please check our website sea.museum for updates.