Signals, Issue 88 by Australian National Maritime Museum

Number 88 September–November 2009

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SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page ii

Signals

COVER:

A 2-foot model skiff self-steers under spinnaker, and the watchful eye of its skipper. Feature stories beginning page 2 herald a renewed interest in these fascinating craft that raced on Sydney Harbour in the first half of the 20th century. Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

ABOVE:

The topmast of the museum’s 40.5-metre, 1912 signal mast – originally located at Garden Island naval dockyard – is sent down before the mast is unstepped for repairs and relocation.

ABOVE RIGHT:

The museum’s restored Taipan – Ben Lexcen’s revolutionary 1959 18-foot skiff – was displayed at the Sydney International Boat Show in August, where ANMM Fleet staff spoke to the public while looking after the priceless heritage craft. Left to right: acting manager Warwick Thomson, apprentices Andrew Mann and Tim Sheil. Photographs J Mellefont/ANMM

Australian National Maritime Museum’s quarterly magazine

Number 88 September–November 2009

Australian National Maritime Museum’s quarterly magazine Number 88 September–November 2009

2 Reincarnation of a class

The vanished model racing skiffs are making a comeback

10 Revisiting Endeavour’s scrap yard

Our archaeologists visit the reef where Cook nearly lost Endeavour

16 More power to Krait

Volunteers give a new lease of life to this famous vessel’s diesel motor

18 X for unknown

New acquisitions recall the tragic loss of asylum-seeker boat SIEV X

21 Museum program pages

Members’ spring calendar, exhibitions, events for visitors, schools

30 The extraordinary life of Suzy Wong

An exotic vessel becomes an intercultural art show

35 Signals in online archive

Our library is digitising valuable research resources for instant access

36 Ways of watching weather

A meteorological program for schools inspired by Darwin exhibition

40 Australians regain sail speed record

Ingenuity and determination break the elusive 50-knot barrier

42 Tales from the Welcome Wall

Cultutral adjustments – Chahin Baker

44 Off-watch reading

George & Elizabeth Bass love letters; Captain Cook was here

Signals and the environment:

This journal is printed on Media Silk Art, an elemental chlorine-free paper with Forest Stewardship Council and ISO14001

certification, using vegetable based inks.

This journal is printed on Media Silk Art, an elemental chlorine-free paper with Forest Stewardship Council and ISO14001 accreditation, using vegetable based inks.

46 Currents

Birthday celebrations for ‘The Bat’

48 From the director

Page 1 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 2

Reincarnation of a

class

Racing these unique model skiffs was a workers’ wintertime diversion that flourished for half a century before being displaced by other, more modern, pastimes. David Payne, curator of this museum’s Australian Register of Historic Vessels, chronicles their past and applauds their comeback.

THE MODEL racing skiffs associated with Sydney Harbour for the first half of the 20th century have a cheeky character and a colourful history to match their bigger, fully crewed cousins, the internationally recognised 18-foot skiff class. With their over-sized rigs and improbable hull proportions, these pocket-sized caricatures proved that what was good for the real skiffs was good for them too. Not to be upstaged, they shared the same open waters of Sydney Harbour and other nearby locations for their fiercely competitive races, and the same spectator ferries came out crowded with enthusiasts barracking for – and betting on – their favourite craft.

Until recently all this was just a memory, since the races stopped half a century ago. But it did happen, as some of the pictures published here prove, and it’s starting to happen again. Old model skiffs have been resurrected over the last 20 years by collectors, or dusted off by the skiffs’ owners and their families. Now they’re being joined by new hands; the hobby and craft of the model skiff has been reborn in suburban homes and sheds, but this time it’s spread all around the country.

The model racing skiffs are small, which is of course the essence of models, but they are definitely not scaled-down versions of bigger craft. They are more than models, almost deserving to be

included as another skiff class.

Conceptually they share the same freespirited, ‘anything goes’ attitude of the full-sized skiff classes. As long as the boat’s hull is the right length for the class, the proportions, the rig and appendages are up to the builder.

established at Berrys Bay, in North Sydney. Soon afterwards a club was created on the opposite shore at Balmain, and another started nearby at Iron Cove. In 1918 the NSW Model Sailing Council was formed, with various pond and open water clubs participating.

Conceptually they share the same free-spirited, ‘anything goes’ attitude of the full-sized skiff classes

The origins of the big skiffs go back to the 1870s when a number of classes raced regularly on Sydney Harbour. The 1890s saw the 18-footers begin their rise to dominance as the showpiece skiff class, and their massive big brothers the 22s and 24s faded into history. Meanwhile, there were people playing with and racing model boats, largely on ponds and lakes. To the south of the city of Sydney the natural water plains and ponds that drained toward Botany Bay had been landscaped to become parklands, now known as Centennial Park and Moore Park. The lakes were ideal model boat venues and the pond boats were a regular weekend feature. Around 1908 or 1909 some model yachtsmen developed the idea of openwater model skiffs, sailing on the harbour or Parramatta River. The first club was

At least 10 clubs were formed in Sydney to race the little skiffs on open water. Some were short-lived, while others such as the Iron Cove 2-Foot Club spanned almost the entire history of the racing model skiffs. Most were located in the inner western suburbs along Parramatta River, but there was an outpost at Sans Souci on the Georges River and, briefly, another at Cammeray on Middle Harbour.

OPPOSITE: Balmain shipwright, skiff sailor, and maker of 2-foot model racing skiffs, George McGoogan. Photographer unknown, ANMM collection

ABOVE: Sailmaker Dennis McGoogan with the 2-foot skiff built by his father George (pictured opposite page), during a demonstration of model skiff racing that Dennis and other enthusiasts staged for museum Members last year. Photographer ANMM Member Peter Nichols

Page 3 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

The model skiffs were raced in winter, often by the people who in summer were racing the full-size skiffs

Racing appears to have ceased by 1954, but the clubs were extremely active during the preceding four decades. During this heyday the designs evolved, the racing was highly competitive and the support from spectators was very strong. The model skiff and pond classes became quite numerous, from eight or 10 inches up to 32 inches (25.4–81.28 cm). For the open water skiffs the predominant classes seemed to be the 12-inch and the mighty 2-foot class (30.48 and 60.96 cm).

The model skiffs were raced in winter, often by the people who in summer were racing the full-size skiffs. The little skiffs were followed by their skippers in rowing boats – and they were no ordinary rowing boats either. For the 2-footers the dinghies needed to be at least three metres (10 feet) long; the skipper sat in the bow while the rower sat aft and faced forward. The rower could be a colleague of the skipper or a member of his family, and many were women – sisters, cousins or girlfriends.

It was a team effort, but the rower’s principal job was to manoeuvre the dinghy alongside while the skipper made adjustments to his skiff’s rudder, keel and sail settings during the race. He would also tack or gybe the craft, and set or take in a spinnaker. While the skipper and rower had their independent tasks, they could work together on tactics and shared observations of the conditions and their rivals’ positions. The rower had to make sure he kept clear of other skiffs and their rowers. Interference or contact with the opposition could bring instant disqualification from the officials

adjudicating the race. The skipper had a pair of oars too, and after adjusting his model he had to row as well to help them keep up as the little contraptions sped away.

With 20 or more skiffs racing in a strong breeze, the sight was panoramic to behold. Spread out over a bay was a migrating flock of little white sails with their distinguishing emblems, herded and chased by people in clinker dinghies.

The big picture shows a gradual procession clearly heading somewhere as one fleet. Zoom in to watch more closely and each model skiff has an individual ‘watch me, dad’ mind of its own, that’s reined in by its dinghy and crew.

from sheet and stock sections; there were halyards and sheets with sliding cleats and Japara-cotton sails. It was all bigboat design and construction down to a ridiculous scale, not just for show under a glass case, but required to work in a good breeze out there on the harbour.

The art of sailing these extraordinary machines is all about that mystery of yachting called balance (see the section on the next pages about design of the skiffs). As the skiff is being built it’s a question of putting the mast in the right place, getting the sails in the right proportions, finding the right geometry of keel and rudder. When it’s launched it should then be down to fine-tuning the set and trim of the sails. If everything is just right, the little yacht would sail steadily maintaining its course relative to the wind direction and strength. Getting it just right only came with experience, so each design was usually

After adjusting his model the skipper had to row as well to help keep up as the little contraptions sped away

This was serious business for the skippers. Some of the craft were built professionally, but many skippers designed and built their own craft at home – the working men’s terraces and cottages of those inner harbourside suburbs. Even if built on the kitchen table, the hulls and fittings reveal expert craftsmanship. These days they are so treasured as artefacts that some owners won’t allow them back in the water.

The early examples were hollowed out from a solid block of timber, usually the light Queensland red cedar, but later craft show a real miniature skiff construction with keels, frames, floors, planks, beams and knees. Brass fittings were hand-made

a progression from a previous one. For everyone involved there was the same satisfaction that comes from sailing the real thing, as they tinkered and watched their diminutive craft strive like infants to be grown-ups.

A resurgence of interest began in the 1980s, and featured names such as Fred Thomas from Sans Souci and the McGoogans of Balmain, people who as youngsters had been part of the model racing in the 40s and 50s. They were joined by the late Nick Masterman, the dedicated heritage shipwright and enthusiast for Sydney Harbour’s maritime past, who encouraged people to restore the old craft as well as

Page 4 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

highlighting the model’s story in the local media and boat shows. Since then others have come aboard, people who have inherited dad’s or uncle’s old skiff, or picked one up from an antique shop, garage sale or other source.

In August last year we contacted all the model skiff enthusiasts that we could find and organised a demonstration sail on the waters of Iron Cove, observed by our Members in a heritage ferry. An art that had been dormant was stirring to life, and the momentum is increasing as new craft are being constructed.

The Australian National Maritime Museum is keen to encourage this revival. We have chosen to focus on the 12-inch skiffs. This class is quite manageable to build, store, transport and sail, and provides all the performance qualities and owner satisfaction of the big 2-foot class. A traditionally inspired design by the author of this article, illustrated above, is available as a PDF which can be enlarged to full scale for builders to work directly from, or to use as a point of reference for their own ideas. 

ABOVE: The author of this article, yacht designer David Payne, has developed these plans for the 12-inch class of skiff, to help people take up the old art of building racing models. They are available from the museum.

OPPOSITE LEFT: Unidentified skipper shepherds his creation between Point Piper snd Shark Island, positioning his boat upwind. Photographer unknown, ANMM collection

OPPOSITE RIGHT: Museum shipwright Lee Graham has taken up the challenge of building racing model skiffs. He’s pictured with a model displayed at a recent Classic & Wooden Boat Festival here at the museum. Photographer Bill Richards/ANMM

Page 5 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Two-footer recollections

Harry Hugh McGoogan, born in Balmain in 1927 and a Cockatoo Island shipwright by trade, recalls the last days of 2-foot model skiff racing. This account is edited from his handwritten notes.

FROM THE AGE of five years I was interested in sailing boats. Each Sunday I watched and helped the sailors rig their boats in Mort Bay, Balmain, and as I got older I would be invited to crew in a boat as the bailer boy, on a windy day. They raced from Clark Island to the Sow and Pigs. In the winter months, when the skiff season was over, the Balmain 2-foot model sailing boats raced off White Horse Point each Sunday. They had a fleet of approximately 16 starters. My uncle Hugh McGoogan sailed the Marie, its colour patch was a round black circle. My father George McGoogan was his rower.

I first became involved with the 2-foot boats in 1942, when I was 15 years old, the year before I was apprenticed at Cockatoo Island. Brother George made sails and fitted out a boat called the Jean. I was his rower. We sailed at the North Sydney 2’0” Model Sailing Club for one year, and the following two seasons we sailed with the Drummoyne club. A group of sailors from Balmain got together and formed the Birchgrove 2’0” Model Sailing Club. They held their meetings on Sunday mornings in Mr Dodds’ boat shed at Birchgrove, and raced around Snails Bay in the afternoons.

Brother George then built me a 2-foot clinker boat called the Joan, named after his wife. My handicap was eight minutes. My father George, an experienced rower, rowed for me and I learned a lot from him

about 2-foot sailing. I won four races during my first season. Brother George was a shipwright by trade, he built a number of 2-footers in his early years. His rower was brother Jack McGoogan, whose nickname was ‘Up Jackie’! During their racing career George’s was usually the scratch boat.

The combination of skipper and rower was important to racing 2-footers. The rower could position the dinghy to assist the 2-footer into the wind, or pull it away to achieve fast speed through the water. Likewise, off the wind the position of the dinghy could change the direction of the model boat without the skipper doing any adjustments to the sails, rudder or fin. When a strong westerly or nor’easter blew it was necessary to have two pairs of oars in the dinghy to catch the model boat.

Two-foot model boats had four sets of sails. The biggest was used in light conditions, then there were intermediate, second and the small heavy weather rig. The sails were made of Japara silk or unbleached calico. Model boats were built in a jig. The keel consisted of Huon pine (when available) planked with cedar and fastened with swaged boat nails. The construction was generally carvelbuilt, though the early models were dug out of solid cedar logs. The 2-foot models had a sliding fin fabricated from mild or stainless steel, 25” long, 4” wide and carrying 22 pounds of lead.

In 1946 I built a new 2-footer called the Margaret after my girlfriend Margaret Ritchie, whom I later married. She volunteered to be my rower and was extremely good. The Margaret model is now 62 years old and in excellent condition. I sailed her off the Drummoyne shore in an easterly breeze not all that long ago.

In 1946 moorings were placed in Snails Bay to berth the timber ships from overseas. This prevented further sailing in Snails Bay. The Birchgrove club moved their courses adjacent to Cockatoo Island and started their races off Cove Street wharf, Birchgrove. The club was changed back to Balmain 2’0” Model Sailing Club. It had a big following, and hired a 60-foot ferry every Sunday to follow the race. Sailor families were on board and for those who were interested in having a bet on the race, the bookmakers’ prices were advertised on a blackboard.

During the racing season there were various inter-club races and State championships sailed down the harbour off Shark Island. Sailing continued during the 1940s and until the 1950s. It probably ended because people’s way of life changed. Families started getting motor cars and they might go for a Sunday drive instead. The television arrived in Sydney not long after and that was the end of a great winter sport sailed on Sunday afternoons. 

Page 6 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

The author, keen to see a resurgence of model skiff racing, has developed his own version of the 12-inch class, taking full advantage of the skiff classes’ lack of design restrictions other than the length of hull. Named Flotsam, it’s made of scrap materials scavenged, seagull-like, from anywhere.

Photographer A Frolows/ANMM

The physics of Neverland

Despite their improbable proportions, model racing skiffs sail straight and true. David Payne, curator of this museum’s Australian Register of Historic Vessels, reconciles tradition, art and science.

THE DELIGHTFULLY comical proportions of the racing model skiffs are rather confounding for many people. How does something so short, so wide, so deep – and with all that sail – actually work? Why can’t it look more normal? Why aren’t they just scaled down from an 18-foot skiff to the specified length of the model class, of one or two feet (30.48 or 60.96 cm)?

The really simple answer is that these are not models in the first place. They are yachts in their own right, and subject to the same principles that shape any vessel. A study of these principles, and the way they are calculated, fills

Page 7 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

books. Indeed it is a university course, and becomes quite complex rather quickly. In contrast, the model skiffs we are focusing on have traditionally been created by eye, drawing solely on the maker’s experience – but the factors that govern a big yacht’s ability to sail still apply to these little model skiffs.

Let’s return first to the notion of a scaled-down 18-foot skiff. If you did build a mini 18-footer with exactly scaleddown hull and rig, it would capsize. To sail it in a modest wind you would need an extraordinarily deep keel carrying

Meanwhile the more complex form stability – something that is affected by the vessel’s water plane area and water plane beam – has become 32 times greater. In practical terms this is all far more than is required, because sail area has increased only four times while resistance and heeling forces have increased eight-fold. As noted in the venerable text on yacht design, Elements of Yacht Design by Norman L Skene (first published 1927), when dimensions are scaled upwards the ability to carry sail increases much more than the heeling forces and this ‘is the reason in a nutshell

How does something so short, so wide, so deep – and with all that extraordinary sail area – actually work?

just a small amount of lead, because that’s all its volume would support. This is because when scaling the boat down, while the linear dimensions of length, breadth and so on remain in the same relative proportions, areas and volumes and their effect on displacement and stability change quite dramatically compared to the original, full-sized craft.

What is being observed here is a historic element of the design process, an engineering principle called the Law of Mechanical Similitude, also known as Froud’s Law of Comparison. This law sets out the way in which a scaling change affects linear dimensions, areas, volumes and force measurements in quite different proportions to that of the simple scale variation. These principles play a role in explaining why the model skiffs are so oddly proportioned, and while it is doubtful that many of the model builders where schooled in the numbers, they certainly understood the principles from experience.

The numbers can be fascinating, as an example will show. If we simply scaled up a mid-sized 15-metre racing yacht by a factor of two, so that it’s up to the Sydney–Hobart maxi yacht length of 30 metres, what else happens? As well as being twice as long, the new boat would then be twice as wide and twice as deep. This, however, would then give it eight times as much volume or displacement, a huge increase.

By far the biggest increase is in the two ways that its stability has improved. Stability from its displacement or weight is increased by 16 times, assuming the same location of its centre of gravity.

why large sailing yachts are so much stiffer [more stable] than small ones, even with relatively much less draft and beam’. It stands to reason that when scaling in reverse, the smaller vessel becomes much less stable and its ability to carry sail decreases. Reduced to the size of the 2-foot skiff, everything has gone downhill exponentially. To compensate for the losses in stability some factors can be increased, relative to the hull’s length. You can help the stability inherent in the boat’s displacement or weight by

wider hull and a deeper, heavier keel were needed to support the sail area, especially when they sailed in conditions that were testing for even a full-sized skiff. Despite the seemingly obese hull characteristics common to many of the class, they still work like any other successful yacht because their stability numbers have been sorted out.

In some respects they work better – and this is another confounding thing about these little racing models. How do they stay on track sailing to windward and – even more astounding – downwind while carrying a spinnaker, when there is no crew on board constantly trimming the sails and rudder?

A sailing vessel operates in a constant state of change, always reacting to wind and wave variations. It is enormously complex to identify the various forces pushing and pulling on a yacht’s hull and rig, measuring their resultant strength and direction, then reconciling their opposing reactions to reach equilibrium. Tank testing and wind tunnel analysis give today’s designers a better chance to assess and predict what happens, with an engineer’s precision and accountability. Previously, however, it was rules of thumb derived from experience that guided the positioning of sail area relative to the combined hull, keel and rudder profile to achieve harmony between the two.

The best of the model skiffs seem to plough on regardless with a nothing-will-stop-me attitude of fierce determination

lowering the centre of gravity with a heavier bulb of lead and a much deeper keel as well. The hull must then develop a more voluminous shape so that it can support the heavy lead bulb, and this increases the beam of the boat – makes it wider. As the engineering principles showed, the small linear increase in width gives a much bigger proportional gain in form stability.

However, this is still only part of the answer, because the models also carry a hugely oversized rig, even by normal skiff proportions (and the skiffs of those days were famous for their enormous rigs). This requires even more stability. Therefore the already exaggerated shape is further inflated to support additional ballast, and the hull gains even more width. The model builders knew that a

It more or less came down to calculating the location of the geometric centres of the sail plan and of the hull’s underwater profile as they appeared on a plan of the vessel. These bear no relation to the actual centres of pressure, but they seemed to be as good a guide as any based on the premise that one should fix the two centres in positions relative to each other that had worked before on similar vessels. If the designer had developed from sailing experience a sense and an eye for what was right, they could be confident enough to move things around until it felt comfortable. At this point it becomes a case of what looks right is right – hopefully!

This is good news for the enthusiast and reminds us that the development of the model skiffs and their handling owed

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 8

much to imagination and to trial and error, two design tools guaranteed to spice up what might in a later era have deteriorated into a dull numbers game for the white-coat brigade. Spontaneity is preserved along with the tradition of passing on the secrets and hard-learned lessons from one generation to the next. The artistry of the model skiff’s creation and sailing often started on the kitchen table where many of the hulls were shaped by eye, and a hand running across the surface feeling the imagined flow of the water. The rig, keel and rudder were set up with subtle changes to size or shape prompted by last year’s experience, and once the varnish was dry and the stitching complete, it was time to test it on the water.

It’s largely about trim and compensation. The intriguing sliding keel running on a track – an idea from left of field –allows the craft to be trimmed fore and aft and also changes the underwater centre of pressure relative to the rig’s centre of pressure. When combined with adjustments to the trim or set of the sails, there is a huge range of variations that can be trialed until the craft is balanced and sails in a straight line relative to the wind direction. The rudder can be fixed slightly off centre to help correct any yawing tendencies, and the sails are cut and set so that as wind strength and direction change, the craft automatically compensates and realigns itself relative to the wind.

The best of the model skiffs seem to do this quite smoothly, and plough on regardless with a nothing-will-stop-me attitude of fierce determination. Indeed nothing will stop it other than the rapidly approaching shore, unless the rower can keep pace and allow the skipper to grab hold of his errant charge when things don’t go according to plan, or when the time comes to turn into the next leg of the course.

The model skiffs are perpetually stuck in a kind of Peter Pan existence, little yachts that will never grow up. For their skippers it’s a bit like Neverland as time stands still while they play with their craft with all the intent dedication they give to the real boat races that they will return to every summer. 

TOP: Unidentified Sydney model posing with the unrigged hull of a 2-footer model. The proportions of the skiff hull are explained in the accompanying article. Photographer unknown, ANMM collection ABOVE: A racing skiff model works into a winter westerly off the shoreline between Point Piper and Double Bay . Photographer unknown, ANMM collection

Page 9 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

The Australian National Maritime Museum has a small collection of historic model skiffs of different classes, photographs, programs and rule books associated with model skiff sailing.

Revisiting Endeavour’s scrap yard

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 10

Early this year archaeologists from the Australian National Maritime Museum surveyed a site of great historical significance to Australia – the reef where James Cook went aground on Endeavour in 1770. Expedition member, curator and maritime archaeologist Nigel Erskine reports.

OF THE MANY 18th-century European voyages of exploration, James Cook’s expeditions are renowned. The three expeditions he led between 1768 and 1779 changed European knowledge of the world profoundly, filling Pacific charts with hundreds of islands and providing surveys of much of the Pacific littoral, including Australia’s east coast. In addition to geographic discoveries, Cook’s expeditions provided some of the first detailed scientific data from the Pacific and brought back important botanical, zoological and ethnographic collections to Europe. The artistic results of the voyages were similarly impressive and the three voyage accounts were best-sellers – ensuring that Cook’s reputation survived, well after his untimely death in Hawaii.

For Australians, the 1770 voyage of the Endeavour along the east coast is

ABOVE: Diver with part of the steel marker structure left by the 1969 expedition that recovered the six jettisoned cannon. Photographer Xanthe Rivett

LEFT: Vue de la riviere d’endeavour sur la cote de la nouvelle hollande ou le vaisseau sur mis a la bande (View of Endeavour River, in New South Wales, the ship Endeavour bark laid on the shore) Hand coloured engraving after a drawing by Endeavour artist Sydney Parkinson, published Paris, France 1774. It shows the ship being repaired on the shore of what we now call Queensland. ANMM collection

compelling description of the events of 11 June 1770 in his journal:

… a few minutes before 11 [2300 hrs] … before the man at the lead could heave another cast the ship struck and stuck fast. Immediately upon this we took in all our sails hoisted out the boats, and sounded round the ship, and found that we had got upon the SE edge of a reef of

Sailing by moonlight along the coast of New Holland, the vessel struck a coral reef threatening destruction of the ship

intrinsically linked to the foundation of modern Australia, but things could have turned out very differently! Twenty-two months into the voyage, after recording the transit of Venus, successfully charting New Zealand and sojourning in Botany Bay, the expedition suffered a disastrous setback. Sailing by moonlight along the tropical coast of New Holland, the vessel struck a coral reef –threatening the destruction of the ship, and along with it, Cook’s survey of the east coast and all Joseph Banks’s natural history specimens. Cook left a

coral rocks having in some places round the ship 3 and 4 fathom water and in other places not quite as many feet … Unable to haul the vessel off the reef, Cook ordered the ship to be lightened so that it might float free on the next high tide.

… we went to work to lighten her as fast as possible which seem’d to be the only means we had left to get her off as we went ashore about the top of highwater. We not only started water but throw’d over board our guns, iron and

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stone ballast, casks, hoops staves, oyle jars, decay’d stores etc ...

These actions were successful and after getting off the reef, Cook was fortunate to find a river mouth on the nearby coast, where the Endeavour was sufficiently repaired to sail to the Dutch East India Company shipyard at Batavia. Cook finally arrived back in England with the Endeavour in 1771.

In 1969 the exact site of Endeavour’s stranding was located by a team from the Academy of Natural Sciences

(Philadelphia) and the six cannons and much of the ballast were recovered. An anchor was recovered later in 1971. These objects form an integral part of the national connection that we and other nations feel for Cook and the Endeavour – and in 1970 the Australian Prime Minister, John Gorton, formally presented one cannon each to representatives of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, the British government, the New Zealand government, the Australian government, the New South Wales and the Queensland governments.

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 12

Chart of Endeavour Reef and environs by Richard Pickersgill, master’s mate on Endeavour. Courtesy of UK Hydrographic Office

The cannons are now located at the Academy of Natural Sciences (Philadelphia), the National Maritime Museum (London), the National Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (Wellington), the National Museum of Australia (Canberra), the James Cook Museum (Cooktown) and Botany Bay National Park Discovery Centre. Forty pieces of iron ballast and 56 pieces of stone ballast, some remains of ironwork from the gun carriages, a cannonball, powder charge and hemp wadding (found in one of the cannon) plus a number of concretions are now held by this museum and form an important part of the National Maritime Collection.

Readers of the article ‘We find the missing Mermaid’ in Signals number 86, by curator and maritime archaeologist Kieran Hosty, will know that he led the museum’s maritime archaeology team on an expedition to far north Queensland in January this year. While the main achievement of the expedition was to successfully locate the remains of the important colonial vessel HMCS Mermaid, wrecked in 1829 somewhere in the area of the Frankland Islands, an additional aim of the project (weather and time permitting) was to visit Endeavour Reef and inspect the site where Cook’s ship was stranded in 1770.

Our opportunity came sooner than expected when on day nine of the expedition, with weather conditions deteriorating, work on the Mermaid wreck site was halted and the expedition vessels headed for shelter behind a reef further north. Endeavour Reef lies approximately 80 nautical miles north of

‘We … throw’d over board our guns, iron and stone ballast, casks, hoops staves, oyle jars, decay’d stores etc’

the Mermaid wreck site and the expedition vessel Spoilsport arrived there two days later – having stopped to investigate two other wreck sites en route.

In fact Spoilsport’s skipper had been playing a skilful game of ‘cat and mouse’ with a tropical low moving south from the Gulf of Carpentaria and out into the Coral Sea. For this was cyclone season and although this period produces statistically the greatest daily average of calms in the year, providing the best conditions for diving, it is also the period when dangerous cyclones may form.

Approaching through rain squalls just after dawn, at first glimpse Endeavour Reef appeared as a jade-green band suspended between a dark metallic sea and low scudding clouds. The reef lies only 13 nautical miles off the mainland and high peaks of the Mount Finlayson Ranges appeared and disappeared through the fast-moving rain squalls.

Endeavour Reef is imposing, appearing from Spoilsport’s upper deck to stretch endlessly from east to west. It is, in fact, about five nautical miles in length and must have been a daunting prospect to those involved in 19th-century attempts to

TOP: This Endeavour four-pounder cannon and iron ballast pigs, retrieved from Endeavour Reef, were displayed when the museum first opened. The cannon (on a replicated gun carriage) remained here for 17 years before moving to the National Museum of Australia in Canberra. Photographer J Carter/ANMM

LEFT: Large concretion removed from one of Endeavour’s cannon, showing the imprint of the royal cipher or monogram cast into its breech. ANMM collection

locate the site of Endeavour’s stranding. In 1887 the harbour master of Cooktown, Captain John Mackay, tried to find Endeavour’s cannons by visually searching the waters off the southern edge of the reef. Unsurprisingly, he was not successful, and the location of the cannons remained unknown until the 20th century when advances in technology greatly improved the chances of finding the Endeavour stranding site.

The breakthrough came in 1969 when an Academy of Natural Sciences expedition led by Dr Virgil Kauffman, using a magnetometer, successfully located a large magnetic anomaly on the southern edge of Endeavour Reef. A magnetometer registers slight variations in the earth’s magnetic field and by the 1960s they were being used extensively in geological surveys. Towed in the water behind a small boat, the magnetometer reacted to

Page 13 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Rivett

the iron ballast and cannons on the seabed, pinpointing the spot for divers to search. However, even with this breakthrough it took some time for the expedition divers to identify the heavilyconcreted cannons among the numerous coral outcrops on the reef.

Using the published reports of the 1969 expedition, we were able fairly quickly to find a steel marker left to indicate the site where the Endeavour cannons and ballast were recovered. It was known that the original expedition had used explosives to crack the solid mass of iron ballast and we expected that the reef would show some evidence of this. Happily, although evidence of a blast crater was found in one area, our overall impression of the reef was of a healthy, and quite unexpectedly beautiful, environment rich in colourful corals, giant clams and tiny tropical fish.

After a second dive later in the day, the weather conditions deteriorated further and Spoilsport motored westward to round the reef and anchor in its shelter for the night. Rounding the western edge of Endeavour Reef we could see the tiny sand cays that Cook named the Hope Islands (in the hope of surviving the ordeal) lying about five miles further west.

After a restless night, we returned to the site next morning and completed a final dive. The Endeavour stranding site is actually on a small detached reef just off the main edge of Endeavour Reef and under water appears something like a loaf of bread in section – with a high, rounded central spine, dropping away steeply on either side to a flat sandy bottom. Cook was perhaps fortunate to strike this isolated reef rather than find himself aground on the edge of Endeavour Reef itself, where it is probable he would have found it impossible to free the ship.

During this final dive, the team found a small number of isolated ballast stones (recognisable from the recovered stones

Spoilsport ’s skipper had been playing a skilful game of ‘cat and mouse’ with a tropical low moving into the Coral Sea

Concretion is the term given to the hard casing of corrosion products that forms around iron objects that are submerged in the sea for long periods. The thickness of a concretion increases over time, sometimes making it difficult to identify the object beneath. While they are the result of corrosion, once they have formed concretions create a microenvironment that actually reduces the rate of corrosion, helping to preserve the encased object.

in the National Maritime Collection), as well as occasional concrete blocks used by the 1969 expedition to anchor marker buoys on the site, but in general the reef appears to have returned once more to its natural state. We would have liked to have spent more time at this place where, in 1770, the course of Australian history hung in the balance, but with the wind turning once again and strengthening, our time was up and we headed back southward to complete our work on the Mermaid site. 

TOP: Diver with magnetometer approaches the reef where Endeavour ran aground. Photographer Xanthe BOTTOM: Diver with one of the small ballast stones remaining on the site. Photographer Xanthe Rivett

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 14

Page 15 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

More power

Meet the volunteer engineers who have given a new lease of life to the big Gardner diesel that powers Australia’s famous World-War-II commando raider, Krait. Story by the museum’s media and communications manager Bill Richards

IT’S JUST FOUR STEPS down a crude wooden ladder into the engine room on MV Krait, and you’re there … beside the big six-cylinder Gardner diesel that turned in a magnificent service for the Allied cause in the Pacific in World War II. A little surprisingly perhaps after all this time, the engine – gleaming in a new coat of grey paint – looks in great shape. It takes two strong men with crank handles to turn it over, but when they start it up it pounds away contentedly, ready to drive Krait through the water at a good 12 knots or more.

One suspects this Gardner is almost as good as new; that is, good as when it was installed in this one-time Japanese fishing boat on the waterfront in Cairns, North Queensland in July 1943.

It replaced the vessel’s original fourcylinder Deutz diesel which had broken down completely on the voyage north from Sydney that year, threatening to scuttle its top-secret wartime mission. The Gardner had been earmarked for the

Army, but the secret maritime operation was given precedence and the two-ton engine was flown to Cairns.

Krait proceeded from Cairns south to Townsville for supplies, then north again to Thursday Island and right across the top of Australia to Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia. From Exmouth, British Major Ivan Lyon and his crew of 13 special military personnel (11 Australian, three British) sailed this low-profile 20-metre vessel 2,800 km to Japaneseheld Singapore and launched the raid on which they blew up 37,000 tons of enemy shipping in Singapore harbour.

The devastation was accomplished by just six men. Paddling collapsible canoes from an outer island, they attached limpet mines to the ships in port then retreated. But it was the trusty Krait that transported the party from Exmouth to Singapore, masquerading as the Japanese fishing boat she originally was, and brought them safely home again.

Operation Jaywick was one of the most audacious, spectacular and successful Allied special-service actions in the whole Pacific War. And the big Gardner diesel performed its part magnificently, says Lynette Ramsay Silver, historian and author of several books on Operation Jaywick, its successor Operation Rimau and the men of Special Operations.

‘The engine kept going and going – which was just as well,’ she says.

‘If anything had gone wrong, it would have been the end. There were no second chances …’

Krait departed Exmouth on 2 September and returned on 19 October with its mission completed. Throughout this time the Gardner was managed and operated by Leading Stoker J P (Paddy) McDowell, a World War I veteran who migrated from Scotland to Australia between the wars and who, according to Silver, was perfectly content to line up for his adopted country in the Pacific conflict. This ‘engineer extraordinaire’,

Page 16 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

to Krait…

LEFT: Krait between Sydney Heads in 1989, shortly after the ship was entrusted to the museum. Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

RIGHT: Krait volunteers Col Adam and Bob Bright. The model 6L3 Gardner diesel develops 103 bhp at 800 rpm and has 2:1 reduction gear. It cost £2,250 in 1943.

Photographer A Frolows/ANMM

as she calls him, was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work in Krait’s engine room.

Today there’s similar devotion to the engine, but the faces have changed. Krait, owned by the Australian War Memorial, is now on permanent display at this museum. The museum’s conservation plan for this extremely important vessel recognises that the Gardner has ‘exceptional heritage significance’ for its war service.

The big, low-speed, high-torque, British-manufactured Gardner diesels are considered by some to be the Rolls Royce of marine powerplants.

L Gardner and Sons Ltd, founded in Hulme, Manchester, England in 1868, started building engines around 1895 and became renowned for stationary, marine, road and rail diesel engines.

of the most fulfilling work in their now lengthy careers.

‘It’s very satisfying being able to call on skills you’ve learnt over a lifetime, and put them to work here,’ says Bob Bright, now 78. ‘And it’s not like when you’re working for money. There’s not the same pressure. You’ve got more time to consider things. Talk about them. And get it all right.’

Bob has had a fondness for old engines, particularly steam engines, since he started out as an apprentice fitter with NSW Railways. He went to sea as an engineer then came ashore again to work in a manufacturing plant, and from this developed his hobby of restoring old engines and bringing them back to life. By chance he met up with the Australian National Maritime Museum’s fleet manager, Steven Adams, at a railway

The big six-cylinder Gardner diesel turned in a magnificent service for the Allied cause in the Pacific in World War II

The company ceased engine production in the mid-1990s as emission standards and the move towards high-speed, turbocharged diesels made its product obsolete.

Two men now have hands-on responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of Krait’s warrior engine. Bob Bright and Col Adams are both museum volunteers. Both are retired motor engineers and, having formed a firm working partnership in Krait’s engine room, both rank this as some

historical rally in 2000, and Adams immediately recognised a talent in retirement who could help maintain the museum’s historic vessels.

Col Adam’s career was different. For most of his working life he managed R H Adam and Sons, the automotive engineering company that his grandfather established at Bankstown in 1934. His son is now working in the company and Col, 76, has been withdrawing from active involvement over the past few years. He came to the museum as a tourist

12 months ago and got talking to people about their work on engines. Before he really knew what had happened, he too had joined the ranks of museum volunteers.

‘I’m very happy to be working on boats,’ he says. ‘Restoring car engines would have been like just another job for me.’

Working together just one day a week, over the past 12 months the two volunteers have given Krait’s venerable Gardner a super service. They have worked their way through the whole engine, adjusting all the working parts to get the timing right, changing all the oils, cleaning out the sumps, cleaning out the salt and fresh water cooling systems, overhauling the pumps, replacing the hoses and all.

‘It starts a lot more easily now, and runs beautifully,’ says Col. ‘I’d be happy to take it on a long voyage.’

The two engineers will now turn their attention to reinstalling three auxiliary machines that were in place on Operation Jaywick: a small petrol engine, an air compressor (to start the big engine) and a generator (to charge radio and other batteries on Jaywick).

‘I like working down there,’ says Bob. ‘There’s quite a lot of space. It’s a good engine to work on.’

It’s thanks to Bob and Col, when you descend into the engine room and hear the big Gardner turning over, you can easily imagine that you’re on your way towards enemy territory, relying for life on this disguise as a Japanese fishing boat. It’s a little chilling. 

Page 17 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Two new acquisitions to the National Maritime Collection recall the tragic loss of 353 lives at sea when a boat carrying asylum seekers sank on an ill-fated voyage from Indonesia to Australia. Kim Tao, curator of post-Federation immigration, explains the museum’s ongoing interest in the story of refugees and ‘boat people’.

unknown X for

SIEV X remembered

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 18

SIEV X Affair by Glenn Morgan, 2008. Wood, steel, acrylic. ANMM collection

SIEV X is the name given to a decrepit, overcrowded fishing boat that embarked from the port of Bandar Lampung in Sumatra, Indonesia, on 18 October 2001, carrying over 400 asylum seekers who had fled Afghanistan and Iraq. After a night sailing in horrendous weather the boat foundered en route to the offshore Australian territory of Christmas Island, drowning 353 people – 146 children, 142 women and 65 men.

More than 100 people survived the initial sinking and floated helplessly for 20 hours ‘like birds on the water’ in the words of survivor Ahmed Hussein. During the night, according to those in the water, two large vessels arrived and shone searchlights, but failed to rescue the survivors. The identity of these vessels has never been established. The following day, only 44 asylum seekers remained alive. They were eventually picked up by passing fishermen. A 45th survivor was rescued some 12 hours later.

The Australian National Maritime Museum has recently acquired a wood and steel sculpture titled SIEV X Affair by Victorian artist Glenn Morgan, depicting the vessel’s sinking.

SIEV X stood for ‘Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel Unknown’ in the language of Australian naval and immigration authorities who were intent on tracking and deterring the many vessels then attempting to ferry people without visas to Australia, where they hoped to make a claim for asylum. As the vessels came under surveillance they were assigned an official number. SIEV X, when it sank in Indonesian waters, had not yet been allocated one. Most of these boats were, like SIEV X, small, ramshackle Indonesian fishing or trading craft – cheap and expendable to the people smugglers who charged the asylum seekers for their passage.

As part of its focus on migrant voyages to Australia, the museum has been vitally interested in the experiences of seaborne asylum seekers since it began collecting in the 1980s. At that time it acquired one of the many small craft that carried a wave of Vietnamese ‘boat people’ to Australia in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

Called Tu Do (meaning ‘freedom’), it has

been maintained in operating condition in our historic fleet, and the museum has developed close links with the family who sailed it here, in order to tell their story.

The topic of people making such voyages to claim asylum in Australia has always been controversial, stirring the full gamut of responses in the Australian community – from compassion and support to resentment and xenophobia. Australia was an early signatory to United Nations conventions and protocols that recognise the rights of people to seek asylum in another country. Yet, since the era of Vietnamese boat people, governments in Australia have taken determined steps to deter refugees from arriving in such an uncontrolled manner.

in order to secure refuge in Australia. Shortly afterwards the government introduced its ‘Pacific Solution’.

This aimed to prevent refugees from reaching Australian territory where they could legally claim asylum, and detained them in cooperating foreign countries such as the Pacific island of Nauru while their refugee status was being assessed.

These events – all following closely on the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States – set the tone for the November 2001 Federal election, when issues of asylum seekers, boat people and border protection were fervently contested. It is in this context that the strength of responses to the SIEV X tragedy must be understood.

More than 100 people survived the initial sinking and floated helplessly for 20 hours ‘like birds on the water’

Such measures have included laws enforcing mandatory detention of unauthorised arrivals, introduced in 1992 under the Labor government of 1983–1996. In 1999 the Coalition government (1996–2007) introduced Temporary Protection Visas for unauthorised arrivals who had been assessed as genuine refugees. This new type of visa removed the rights of refugees to have their family join them, or to re-enter the country if they needed to leave.

Many of the ill-fated passengers on SIEV X were women and children desperately attempting to join husbands and fathers in mandatory detention or on Temporary Protection Visas in Australia.

The SIEV X tragedy came two months after the incident in which the Norwegian cargo ship MV Tampa rescued 438 Afghan refugees from a sinking fishing boat in international waters but was prevented by the government from landing them in Australian territory. It was two weeks after another refugee boat, SIEV 4, had sunk after being intercepted by the Australian Navy, which pulled its passengers from the water. This was the incident that generated claims – later shown to be erroneous – that asylum seekers had deliberately thrown children overboard

Glenn Morgan’s sculpture SIEV X Affair depicts the sinking taking place before a row of government onlookers. It is a theatrical, tactile, narrative art work that reflects Morgan’s response to the incident. While the sculpture’s whimsical, childlike appearance may belie the seriousness of the subject, the presence of the onlookers offers an explicit political commentary about the role of the government at the time.

Morgan says, ‘The piece is about my disgrace at the SIEV X affair.

The bureaucrats and government knew it was happening and let it happen, simply for the sake of curtailing immigration. The figures looking over the edge of the work are those government figures watching on, uncaring. I wanted to make a point about that disregard.’

Unlike the Tampa and ‘children overboard’ affairs of 2001, there is no known visual documentation of SIEV X or its sinking. In the absence of photographs or video, the sculpture is an attempt by Morgan to imagine the tragedy, to render it tangible and to validate its place in Australia’s recent maritime history.

Validation is a critical element in the SIEV X story. While terms such as Tampa, children overboard and Pacific

Page 19 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Solution are now firmly entrenched in public discourse, the name SIEV X is less well recognised. Even though this was the worst maritime tragedy in our region since World War II, disturbingly little compassion was shown for the 353 victims.

In 2003 well-known Tasmanian psychologist and author Steve Biddulph sought to commemorate this incident by bringing together a team of friends, based in the Uniting Church, to build a national memorial to SIEV X on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin in the national capital Canberra. The concept for the memorial evolved through a nationwide schools art project, in which thousands of high school students learned about SIEV X and responded with designs for a memorial.

SIEV X National Memorial concept drawing by Mitchell Donaldson, 2004. ANMM collection, gift from SIEV X National Memorial Project SIEV X National Memorial in Weston Park, Canberra, 2007. Photographer Belinda Morgan Pratten. Reproduced courtesy SIEV X National Memorial Project

More than 140 schools participated in the project, submitting concept drawings and paintings that captured a range of emotions – bewilderment at the lack of media coverage of SIEV X, anger at the nation’s treatment of asylum seekers and disbelief at the scale of loss of life.

In 2004 an exhibition of student designs was installed at the Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney and the Wesley Church in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. In 2006 memorial project coordinators donated a selection of concept drawings to the Australian National Maritime Museum, including the winning design by Brisbane student Mitchell Donaldson.

Donaldson’s proposal consisted of a series of painted wooden poles forming the shape of a boat and running down

into the lake. ‘I designed this memorial to make people think about the mistakes we made when the boat people needed help,’ he explains. ‘It’s designed to be partly on the land and partly in the water to represent how close the people were to safety. There are 353 bars, which is the number of people who died, and they are in the shape of a boat. The bars also represent that the people were trapped and the low bars on the side show that they could have been saved if we’d helped them.’

Schools, churches and community groups throughout Australia were invited to contribute a decorated wooden pole for the memorial. The memorial was to have been assembled temporarily in Canberra in October 2006; however the consent of the National Capital Authority

The topic of people making such voyages to claim asylum in Australia has always been controversial

was not granted in time. Nevertheless on 15 October more than 2,000 people arrived at the lakeside site to raise the decorated poles in a ceremony opened by the Australian Capital Territory’s Chief Minister Jon Stanhope. In 2007, on the sixth anniversary of the tragedy, the ACT Government allowed the memorial to be erected for six weeks in Weston Park, Yarralumla. Negotiations continue for permission to install the memorial permanently on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin as an enduring feature of the national capital and the national conscience.

The Australian National Maritime Museum continues to collect objects relating to the experiences of migrants and refugees who arrive by sea. The collection includes a lifebuoy and lifejacket from MV Tampa and material linked to the Flotilla of Hope, a convoy of yachts that sailed from Australia in 2004 to deliver gifts and messages of support to asylum seekers detained on Nauru.

The museum is committed to developing its collection to reflect recent maritime incidents and changing immigration policy, as well as contemporary responses to them. Glenn Morgan’s sculpture and the SIEV X National Memorial concept drawings are two artistic responses that help to remember an incident that might otherwise have faded into the unknown. 

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 20

Message to Members

From Members manager Adrian Adam

AS THE TEMPERATURE warms up there’s no better time to get involved in some of the activities that we’re running over spring. Our exhibition Exposed! The story of swimwear has proved a great hit. Cossies have been in the news again with all that recent controversy over world records, making this exhibition quite timely – but then swimwear has always created shock waves. So do check it out – you’ll learn how we went from scratchy woollen neck-to-knee togs that nearly drowned us, to super-fast competition swimsuits that turned us into dolphins.

The swimwear theme carries over to our spring school holiday program. Bring along your youngsters for handcrafts and dress-ups at our popular activity centre, Kids on Deck, inspired by screen sirens, bathing beauties and Olympians. Meet our new resident artist Jennie Pry as she draws inspiration from the museum’s extensive swimwear collections to create paintings and collages in her gallery studio space.

November brings the intriguingly named International Polar Palooza: Polar Science for Planet Earth on the evening of Thursday 12. ‘Palooza’ implies a multi-faceted festival, and this one brings together international researchers working in biology, geology, oceanography and climate studies. This show has been hailed for the way it raises environmental awareness – see page 27. There’s a related family day on Sunday 15 November for more hands-on demonstrations and interactive activities.

On the water especially for Members, a selection of harbour events includes the big 10th anniversary of our ever-popular Jacaranda cruise – the perfect spring fling. Our continuing lecture series brings back ship expert Peter Plowman to talk

about Australian migrant ships 1900–1939, and introduces the authors of The Wolf to explain how one German raider terrorised Australian shipping during the World War I. Eminent Cook scholar and author, John Robson, brings us Captain Cook’s War and Peace: The Royal Navy Years 1755–1768. And outdoor movies are returning to the upper deck of HMAS Vampire in September with a program of classic movies. For these and other Members events check out details overleaf.

Cossies have been in the news again with all that recent controversy over world records

Great new things are happening at our absolute-harbour-frontage Yots café this spring, inspired by the newly built performance platform adjacent to Yots and the water’s edge. Weekends in September and October bring Weekend Swing with live jazz music from 2 pm to 5 pm. On Fridays from 5 pm to 7 pm we have Five O’Clock Shadow – happy hour with good sounding vibes, and a delicious share-plate menu fresh off the BBQ. Members receive a 10% discount at Yots.

I hope I have whetted your appetite to spring into spring with us, and Claire, Zara and I at the Members office look forward to seeing you at the museum soon. 

Members’ kids dangle a line from the new performance deck during the workshop Fishing 4 Kids, which we’ll be holding again in October. Member Amelia Wilson-Williams (right) landed the blue groper. Photographers A Adam/ANMM, Louise Roberts/Fisheries DPI.

Page 21 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Events for Members

How to book

It’s easy to book for the Members events on the next pages … it only takes a phone call and if you have a credit card ready we can take care of payments on the spot.

• To reserve tickets for events call the Members office on 02 9298 3644 (business hours) or email members@anmm.gov.au. Bookings strictly in order of receipt.

• If paying by phone, have credit card details at hand.

• If paying by mail after making a reservation, please include a completed booking form with a cheque made out to the Australian National Maritime Museum.

• The booking form is on reverse of the address sheet with your Signals mailout.

• If payment for an event is not received seven (7) days before the function your booking may be cancelled.

Booked out?

We always try to repeat the event in another program.

Cancellations

If you can’t attend a booked event, please notify us at least five (5) days before the function for a refund. Otherwise, we regret a refund cannot be made. Events and dates are correct at the time of printing but these may vary … if so, we’ll be sure to inform you.

Parking near museum

Wilson Parking offers Members discount parking at nearby Harbourside Carpark, Murray Street, Darling Harbour. To obtain a discount, you must have your ticket validated at the museum ticket desk

ABOVE: Members tour the Malt Shovel Brewery, home of James Squire beers, courtesy of brewer and generous sponsor Chuck Hahn who taught us how to match ales, pilsener and porter with fine foods. Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

LEFT: A man at home with ships, David Mearns – the world’s foremost shiphunter – told Members how he located the pride of the WWII fleet HMAS Sydney. Photographer A Adam/ANMM

Members events calendar

September

Fri 11 Talk & view: Exposed! lunchtime tour

Tue 22 – Special: Movies by moonlight on Vampire

Thu 24

Sat 26 On water: Sydney Flying Squadron/18-ft skiffs

Sun 27 Talk: Australian Migrant Ships 1900–1939

October

Sun 4 Talk: The Wolf

Thu 8 Tour: Vampire behind-the-scenes & breakfast

Sun 11 Talk: Captain Cook’s War and Peace

Thu 15 Tour: Garden Island heritage tour

Sun 18 For kids: Fishing 4 Kids

Thu 22 For kids: After dark torchlight tour

Sat 24 On water: Jacaranda 10th anniversary cruise

November

Sun 1 Tour: Endeavour behind-the-scenes & breakfast

Sun 8 On water: Bundeena and Royal National Park

Thu 12

Lecture: International Polar Palooza

Fri 20 Tour: Wharf 7 behind-the-scenes

Sun 29

Special: 18th Members anniversary lunch

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 22

Lectures & talks

Lunchtime curator talk & viewing:

Exposed! The story of swimwear

12–1.30 pm Friday 11 September at the museum

Movie sirens, aquatic stars, bathing beauties, athletes, sporting icons, swimmers and designers have all played their part in the evolution of the modern swimsuit. Blurring the boundaries between underwear and outerwear, the swimsuit continues to make shock waves.

Exposed! places Australian swimwear in a global context, and shows how Australian swimwear designers have responded to the environment, our strong swimming and beach culture, and international fashion trends. See this new exhibition and hear the story behind it with curator Daina Fletcher and artist in residence Jennie Pry.

Members $15, guests $20. Includes light lunch, Coral Sea wine, cheese and James Squire beer

Australian Migrant Ships 1900–1939

2–4.30 pm Sunday 27 September at the museum

Following the success of Australian Migrant Ships 1946–1971, maritime historian Peter Plowman now turns his attention to the story of the ships that brought migrants to Australia and New Zealand between 1900 and 1939. When war broke out in 1914 migration temporarily came to a halt, but in 1922 no less than 15 liners joined the Australian migrant trade. In the late 1920s there was a dramatic rise in numbers of Italian migrants heading for Australia, a trend that continued until all migration again ceased with the outbreak of WWII.

Members $20, guests $25. Two lectures, afternoon tea and reception with Coral Sea wine, cheese and James Squire beer

The Wolf: A WWI German raider in Australian waters

2–4 pm Sunday 4 October at the museum

Hear Australian journalists and authors Peter Hohnen and Richard Guilliatt talk about The Wolf – the story of a German ship hell-bent on making life difficult for southern ocean shipping during World War I. Sent on a suicide mission to the far side of the world, the task of this formidable and ingenious commerce-raider was to inflict maximum destruction on allied shipping using all the latest warfare technology –torpedoes, mines, smokescreens, wireless receivers, even a seaplane. Drawn from eyewitness accounts, declassified government files, unpublished diaries and correspondence uncovered during five years of research, this is one of the most remarkable yet little-known episodes of WWI.

Members $15, guests $20. Includes Coral Sea wine, cheese and James Squire beer

Captain Cook’s War and Peace:

The Royal Navy Years 1755–1768

2.30–4 pm Sunday 11 October at the museum

Why was James Cook chosen to lead the Endeavour expedition to the Pacific in 1768? At a time when social position and connections counted for more than ability, Cook, through his own talents and application, rose through the Navy ranks to become a remarkable seaman respected by men of influence. Adding surveying, astronomical and cartographic skills to expertise in seamanship and navigation, Cook saw action, became master of 400 men, and learned first-hand the need for healthy crews. By 1768, he was supremely qualified to captain the Endeavour. Author John Robson presents his original research in this important new book – for Cook scholars and armchair explorers alike.

Members $15, guests $20. Includes Coral Sea wine, cheese and James Squire beer

International Polar Palooza:

Polar Science for Planet Earth

6–8 pm Thursday 12 November at the museum

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty and many years of peaceful international Antarctic exploration, Polar Palooza brings together an international research team working in the areas of biology, geology, oceanography and climate studies. This show features mesmerising presentations and high-definition videos of wildlife from both poles, plus a series of remarkable visualisations generated by NASA satellite showing shrinking sea-ice. View polar artefacts, fossils and even ancient sea-ice cores. This project is made possible by support from the American National Science Foundation and in Australia, by speakers from the Australian Antarctic Division.

Members $20, guests $25. Includes presentation and light refreshments. Bookings essential 02 9298 3644

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES

Booking form on reverse of mailing address sheet. Phone 02 9298 3644 or fax 02 9298 3660, unless otherwise indicated. All details are correct at time of publication but subject to change.

Page 23 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Events for Members

Tours & walks

HMAS Vampire tour and breakfast

8–10 am Thursday 8 October on board the ship

Come and enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at destroyer HMAS Vampire with our specialist guides. See parts of the ship not usually open to the public, such as the senior sailors mess, wardroom, Captain’s day cabin, sonar room, gyro compass and more. The tour will conclude with a barbecue breakfast in the sailors mess and a talk by a former Commanding Officer. Members only, adult $20, child $10. Meet in the museum foyer

Garden Island heritage tour

10 am–1.30 pm Thursday 15 October at Garden Island

Don’t miss this opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes guided tour of Garden Island’s heritage precinct with representatives from The Naval Historical Society of Australia. The tour will visit secure areas such as the Kuttabul Memorial, the Chapel, as well as heritage buildings including the original boatshed and the top of the Captain Cook Dock. You will then have the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the RAN Heritage Centre before you leave.

Members $25, guests $30. Includes morning tea and entry to RAN Heritage Centre. Some walking and climbing of stairs involved. Catch the 10.10 am Watson’s Bay ferry from Circular Quay to Garden Island

HM Bark Endeavour guided tour and breakfast 8–10 am Sunday 1 November on board the ship

Enjoy a welcoming glass of champagne on the quarterdeck before embarking on a detailed guided tour of the ship. With a small group you’ll see areas not usually accessible to the public, including the engine room. Hear what life was like sailing with Cook and his men in the 18th century. Then we will go down to the 20th-century mess and enjoy a hearty barbecue breakfast. Members: adult $20, child $10. Guests: adult $25, child $15. Includes glass of champagne and breakfast. Meet in the museum foyer

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES

Booking form on reverse of mailing address sheet. Phone 02 9298 3644 or fax 02 9298 3660, unless otherwise indicated. All details are correct at time of publication but subject to change.

Wharf 7 Heritage Centre behind-the-scenes tour 11 am–12.30 pm Friday 20 November at Wharf 7

View sections of our Wharf 7 special storage areas that are usually closed to the public, and see objects from the museum’s extensive collection. Visit our preservation laboratory, where manager Jonathan London will explain how artefacts are preserved and prepared for exhibition.

Members only, $15. Includes light lunch. Limited places. Meet in Wharf 7 foyer

On the water

Ferry cruise and tour: Sydney Flying Squadron and heritage 18-ft skiff race

12 noon–4 pm Saturday 26 September on the harbour

Join this relaxing afternoon ferry cruise to view the historic 18-ft skiffs that race out of Sydney Flying Squadron headquarters at Careening Cove. Visit the Squadron’s historic clubhouse and see pre-war replicas Britannia, Tangalooma, Mistake and Yendys and many more on the water. Also view the modern skiffs and thrill to the colour and excitement of the harbour’s fastest racers. A Sydney Flying Squadron representative will be on hand to provide a commentary. Members $55, guests $65. Includes a light lunch and refreshments on board. Meet at the Heritage Pontoon next to submarine Onslow

Spring, spray and jacarandas 10th anniversary cruise 10 am–2 pm Saturday 24 October on Lane Cove River

The spring garden holds many delights including jacarandas in bloom. And there’s no better way to see them than on a leisurely cruise up the Lane Cove River aboard historic ferry Lithgow Adam Woodhams, award winning gardener, radio personality and assistant editor of the popular Better Homes and Gardens, will provide expert botanical and historical commentary. This is one of our most popular annual events; lots of prizes and a glass of bubbly for our 10th anniversary cruise. Book early! Members $45, guests $55. Includes brunch on board. Meet at the Festival Pontoon next to submarine Onslow

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 24

Day trip: Bundeena and the Royal National Park

9 am–3.30 pm Sunday 8 November

Step aboard historic ferry MV Tom Thumb II and enjoy a leisurely cruise on Port Hacking – with its many bays and inlets one of Sydney’s most unspoilt waterways. See breathtaking views of the Royal National Park and learn about early explorers of the district, historical settlements, and sacred Aboriginal sites. Disembark at the historic town of Bundeena, take an easy bushwalk with a National Parks and Wildlife Ranger, and enjoy lunch in the town. Then rejoin the ferry for the trip back to Cronulla.

Members $65, guests $75. Includes morning tea and lunch. Meet at the public wharf at Tonkin St, Gunnamatta Bay, just below Cronulla Station. Parking available

For kids

Fishing 4 Kids

10 am–12 pm or 11 am–1 pm Sunday 18 October at the museum wharves

Supported by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and the Recreational Fishing Trust, this workshop teaches children responsible fishing practices. Children will learn about conservation of fish habitats, sustainable fishing, knot-tying, line-rigging and baiting, casting techniques and handling fish. They will also find out about what fish live in and around Darling Harbour – and what they eat. A simple quiz session will provide each child with a prize and fishing tackle to take home, plus a certificate of achievement.

Members $25, guests $30. Limited numbers. Suitable for children 7–14 years. Includes morning tea and refreshments

After dark torchlight tour

6–7.30 pm Thursday 22 October at the museum

Bring your torch for a night of ghoulish adventure at the museum. Meet our long-time museum caretaker Spanker Boom who has wandered the museum after dark for many a year. He’ll shed some light on what really happens after dark in the museum and maybe you’ll discover what goes ‘bump’ in the night! Listen to scary stories and join in some songs and activities along the way. Mums and dads can enjoy a glass of Coral Sea wine and view our exhibitions.

Member child $15, guest $20. Includes refreshments and light supper. Suitable for children 4–8 years. Remember your torch!

Special events

Movies by moonlight on HMAS Vampire

6.15–8 pm Tuesday 22, Wednesday 23 & Thursday 24 September on board HMAS Vampire

The upper deck of HMAS Vampire will be transformed into an alfresco movie theatre as we screen these films against the X-gun turret. Each screening preceded by a guided tour of HMAS Vampire from 5 pm.

Strictly limited places per screening. Members: adult $20, child $10 per film. Guests: adult $25, child $15. Includes refreshments and popcorn on arrival. Screening may be subject to cancellation due to weather conditions. Dress warmly

Tuesday 22 – For Kids: Peter Pan (2003)

The Darling family children receive an unexpected visit from Peter Pan, who takes them to Never Never Land, scene of an ongoing war with the evil Pirate Captain Hook. Based on the classic story by J M Barrie. Directed by Australian P J Hogan, starring Jason Isaacs and Jeremy Sumpter.

Wednesday 23 – Newsfront (1978)

In Australia in the late 1940s, before the advent of television, Len Maguire (Bill Hunter) and his young sidekick Chris (Chris Haywood) cover the big news stories for Cinetone newsreel company. An old-school cameraman, Len is loyal to the company, the Labor Party and the Catholic Church. But times are changing… Directed by Philip Noyce, Newsfront is a classic – and a contender for best film ever made in Australia.

Thursday 24 – Up Periscope (1959)

This WW II submarine comedy drama starrs James Garner as a Navy frogman who goes from a stateside romance to perilous ocean warfare. Academy Award winner Edmond O’Brien is the hard-nosed skipper, Alan Hale (Casey Jones, Gilligan’s Island) is a dead-eye gunner. Battle stations!

18th Members anniversary lunch

11.30 am–2.30 pm Sunday 29 November, Terrace Room

Book early for our next anniversary lunch with museum director

Mary-Louise Williams, chairman of the museum’s Council

Peter Sinclair RAN (Rtd) CSC, and our special guest speaker

Captain Christopher Rynd, master of the Queen Mary 2 and formerly of the QE2. Captain Rynd will reminisce about his 37year career at sea on the worlds biggest cruise ships.

Three-course lunch accompanied by Coral Sea wine and James Squire beer. The annual anniversary lunch is a fine tradition and a gastronomic event… don’t miss it!

Members $90, guests $100. Meet in the museum foyer

EMAIL BULLETINS

Have you subscribed to our email bulletins yet? Email your address to members@anmm.gov.au to ensure that you’ll always be advised of activities organised at short notice in response to special opportunities.

Page 25 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

What’s on at the museum

Free school holiday activities

Spring school holidays

4–18 October 2009

Splash into swimwear

Hourly sessions 10 am–4 pm daily

Take inspiration from screen idols, bathing beauties and Olympians in our exhibition Exposed! The story of swimwear to make a swimwear collage and design a surfboard logo in our special kids’ space. Enjoy games, stories and dress-ups from over 100 years of Australian beach culture.

For children 5+ years. $7 per child or FREE with any purchased ticket. Adults/Members FREE

Mixed media workshop

10 am–1 pm Tuesday 13 October

Join our resident artist Jennie Pry to design your own swimsuit in this mixed media workshop. Draw a bathing suit and use old music sheets, postcards, fabric and paints to create a life-size collage. Children 8+ years. $25 per child/$20 per Member child. Bookings essential 02 9298 3655

Artist in residence – Jennie Pry

11 am–2 pm 4–18 October

Watch resident artist Jennie Pry as she draws inspiration from our extensive swimwear collections to create paintings and collages in her gallery studio space.

Free family movie

1.30 pm daily

Mali Boo from Round the Twist (24 minutes)

SPECIAL GROUP RATE

For groups of 10 children or more, $7 per child for a fully organised program of activities that includes:

• all museum exhibitions

• all children’s daily activities

• entry to destroyer Vampire and submarine Onslow

• FREE entry for 2 adults per 10 children

NB $4 extra per child for 1874 tall ship James Craig Bookings essential. Book early to ensure your space! phone 02 9298 3655 fax 02 9298 3660 email bookings@anmm.gov.au

During

school term

Family fun Sundays

11 am–3 pm every Sunday during term

For children 5+ years. $7 per child or FREE with any purchased ticket. Adults/Members FREE

Mini Mariners

10–10.45 am and 11–11.45 am

Two sessions every Tuesday during term September – Boats in the Harbour October – Captain’s Crew November – Under the Sea

For children 2–5 years + carers. $7 per child. Adults/Members FREE. Bookings essential 02 9298 3655. Booked playgroups welcome. Please note this program is not offered during the school holidays and for safety reasons is held inside the museum.

Pirate treasure hunts

11 am–12.30 pm and 1–2.30 pm Sunday 22 November

Program times and venues are correct at time of going to press. To check programs before your museum visit call 02 9298 3777.

Young castaways will be led by a pirate guide on a hunt through our galleries. Use the clues on the map to find the hidden treasure and make a pirate bandanna to take home.

Children 5+ years. $10 per child/$5 per Member child. Bookings essential 02 9298 3655

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 26

Spring 2009 program

Family Endeavour adventure

6–8 pm Saturday 7 November

Enjoy a family evening by the wharf aboard our beautiful replica of James Cook’s Endeavour. Have a frolicking adventure with our 18th-century sailor. Sausage sizzle included. Children 7+ years. $25 per person/$50 family (2 adults, 2 children). $20 per Member/$40 Member family. Bookings essential 02 9298 3655

Artist in residence – Jennie Pry

11 am–2 pm 6 September–18 October

Watch resident artist Jennie Pry as she draws inspiration from our extensive swimwear collections to create paintings and collages in her gallery studio space.

Special events

Maritime mishaps and misdemeanours

10 am–12 pm Thursday 10 September

Special guided tour of the museum focusing on murder, misery and mayhem. From the gory Batavia massacre and other perils faced by early explorers, to migration both voluntary and involuntary, unlawful uprisings, seafaring disasters, bitter waterfront disputes and sporting scandals. FREE. Includes morning tea. Bookings essential 02 9298 3654

Auslan interpreted Navy tours

11 am–1 pm Sunday 20 & Monday 21 September

Auslan interpreters will be on hand to give guided tours of our Navy vessels. Celebrate the 50th anniversary of destroyer HMAS Vampire and the 40th anniversary of submarine HMAS Onslow

FREE. Bookings essential: Liz Tomkinson 0419 203 644 or 02 9298 3777 fax 02 9298 3670 email events@anmm.gov.au

Vintage swimwear life-drawing workshop

7–9.30 pm Friday 25 September

Be inspired by a tour of our exhibition Exposed! The story of swimwear and join a workshop to develop your life-drawing skills. Guided by our artist in residence Jennie Pry, you will work from a live model wearing a vintage swimming costume. $30 (Members $25). Includes a complimentary glass of Coral Sea wine. Bookings essential 02 9298 3655

The emergence of Estonia – the long road to freedom

10 am–12.30 pm Monday 28 September

Vitally positioned between east and west, Estonia endured almost continuous occupation until 1991. Maie Barrow outlines Estonia’s history and post-war migration. Terry Kass tells the fascinating story of Julius Sickler, Australia’s first known Estonian immigrant. Kulliki Poole presents the intricacies of Estonian handicrafts. View a display of personal items belonging to a couple who escaped before World War II. $39. Includes morning tea. Bookings essential WEA 02 9264 2781

Talk about togs

10 am–12.30 pm Wednesday 30 September

Join resident artist Jennie Pry for a tour of Exposed! The story of swimwear. Come and share memories of those carefree summer days spent lazing on the sand or frolicking in the water. View a selection of cossies, caps and other beach paraphernalia – maybe even bring along your own.

FREE. Morning tea included. Seniors and special interest groups welcome. Bookings essential 02 9298 3654

Cruise forum: Historic Harbour pools

10 am–2.30 pm Friday 23 October

Join local historians Dr Ian Hoskins and Naomi Bassford and ANMM curator Daina Fletcher on a tour of Sydney Harbour’s historic bathing sites. Learn about their growth, development, and in some cases, demise. Wayne Johnson from the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority will describe the gradual degradation of the harbour waters during the 19th century and steps taken by the NSW Harbour Trust following the Plague of 1901 to more effectively manage the Harbour. View the sites from a heritage ferry, picnic at Elkington Park, and visit the Archive Room at the Dawn Fraser Pool. On return enjoy our exhibition Exposed! The story of swimwear

$60 (Members $55). Includes morning tea and lunch. Bookings essential WEA 02 9264 2781

International Polar Palooza: Polar Science for Planet Earth

6–8 pm Thursday 12 November at the museum

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty and many years of peaceful international Antarctic exploration, Polar Palooza brings together an international research team working in the areas of biology, geology, oceanography and climate studies. This show features mesmerising presentations and high-definition videos of wildlife from both poles, plus a series of remarkable visualisations generated by NASA satellite showing shrinking sea-ice. View polar artefacts, fossils and even ancient sea-ice cores. This project is supported by the American National Science Foundation and, in Australia, by speakers from the Australian Antarctic Division.

$25 (Members $20). Includes presentation and evening refreshments. Bookings essential 02 9298 3644

Polar Palooza: Family day

11 am–3 pm Sunday 15 November

Ever wonder how polar animals keep warm? Immerse yourself in our supercool blubber glove interactive experiment. Learn about polar wildlife including penguins, polar bears, seals and birdlife, and be astounded by NASA satellite visualisations showing shrinking sea ice. View polar artefacts, fossils and ancient sea-ice cores. Scientists from the US and Australia will keep you captivated on this fun-filled and informative eco-family day.

FREE for the whole family

Page 27 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Spring 2009 exhibitions

In our galleries

Exposed!

The story of swimwear

Until 25 October 2009

South Gallery

Movie sirens, aquatic stars, bathing beauties, athletes, swimmers and designers have all played their part in the evolution of the modern swimsuit. Exposed! places Australian swimwear in a global context of design and swimming history and popular culture, and features swimwear by established and emerging designers who have created work especially for the exhibition.

An Australian National Maritime Museum travelling exhibition

The seaside calls –Australian holiday posters 11 November 2009–7 March 2010

From the Great Barrier Reef to Phillip Island eleven posters from the Australian National Maritime Museum Collection promote holiday destinations during the 1930s–1970s.

NAIDOC 2009 – celebrating and acknowledging Indigenous Australians

Until 1 November 2009

Tasman Light Gallery

In 2006 ten of Australia’s talented and emerging Indigenous artists were chosen to produce a portfolio of prints remembering the landing in 1606 of the Dutch ship Duyfken, the first recorded European visit to Australian shores. NAIDOC is an annual celebration of Indigenous cultures.

On the water

Replica of James Cook’s HMB Endeavour

Open daily 10 am–4 pm (closed 6–22 October)

Experience 18th-century life in the Royal Navy on board the museum’s magnificent Australian-built replica of Captain James Cook’s ship. (Closed 6–22 October for dry docking)

Members FREE. Adults $18, child/concession $9, family $38. Other ticket combinations available. Enquiries 02 9298 3777

Barque James Craig (1874)

Daily Wharf 7 (except when sailing)

Sydney Heritage Fleet’s magnificent iron-hulled ship is the result of an awardwinning 30-year restoration. Tour the ship with various museum ticket packages (discount for Members). The ship sails alternate Saturdays and Sundays. Check www.shf.org.au for details

ANMM travelling exhibitions

Joseph Banks and the flora of the Australian east coast

Until 6 September 2009

Gippsland Art Gallery, Sale, Victoria 12 September–15 November 2009

Geelong Gallery Victoria It took more than two centuries to publish the exquisite botanical watercolours of artist

Sydney Parkinson, engaged by Joseph Banks for James Cooks first Pacific voyage (1768–1771). The museum’s copies of these wonderful coloured engravings from Banks’ Florilegium are now touring the country.

Peggy Moffitt modelling Rudi Gernreich topless swimsuit, 1964 Photograph by William Claxton Courtesy Demont Photo Management Australian National Travel Association, James Northfield about 1930 The Macassan prahu by Dhuwarrwarr Marika, linocut 2006. ANMM collection Banks’ Florilegium , Plate 285 Banksia serrata ANMM collection SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 28

Photograph by William Claxton.

Courtesy

Demont Photo Management

For schools

Over 30 programs are available for students K–12, across a range of syllabus areas. Options include extension workshops, hands-on sessions, theatre, tours with museum teacher-guides and harbour cruises. Visit our website: www.anmm.gov.au for details of all programs. Bookings essential: telephone 02 9298 3655 fax 02 9298 3660 or email bookings@anmm.gov.au

Exposed!

The story of swimwear

Years 5–12 HSIE, Textiles & Design, Visual Arts, History

Movie sirens, aquatic stars, bathing beauties, athletes, sporting icons, swimmers and designers have all played their part in the evolution of the modern swimsuit. Australian swimwear is placed in a global context, showing how our swimmers and swimwear designers have responded to Australia’s environment, to our strong local swimming and beach culture, and to international fashion trends.

Guided tour $6 per student

Transport

Years K–2 HSIE, Science

Splash!

Years K–2 HSIE, PD, PE and Health, Creative Arts

Splash! is a hands-on program where younger visitors explore leisure in, on, under and near the water through movement, dress-ups, games and stories. The program includes a guided tour of the Watermarks exhibition and students make their own themed craftwork to take home.

$8 per student

Navigators & Endeavour

Years 3–10 HSIE

The exhibition

Navigators – Defining Australia investigates early contact with the Australian continent. On this guided tour students encounter nonEuropean traders, examine traditional and scientific navigation techniques, and consider the influence of early European explorers. This is an ideal tour to combine with a visit to our replica of HMB Endeavour – one of the most historically accurate in the world. For those studying Cook and early European exploration, a visit to HMB Endeavour brings this era of great scientific voyaging alive.

Students tour the museum identifying various forms of transport connected with water – sailing ships, row-boats, ferries, tugs, a Navy destroyer, water traffic and even a helicopter! An optional cruise by heritage ferry takes in industrial, commercial and passenger transport systems on the harbour.

$6 per student (cruise extra)

Pyrmont walk

Years 9–12 History, Geography

Explore this inner-city suburb from the perspective of changing demographics, construction, planning and development.

Led by a teacher-guide, students walk the streets of Pyrmont and examine changes. The program is suitable as a site study for History and Geography. A harbour cruise examining change and development along the waterfront is also available.

From $12 per student. Cruise extra

Pirate school

Years K–4 English, Maths, HSIE, Creative Arts

Join the pirate school for lessons in treasure counting, speaking like a pirate, map reading and more! Then join a treasure hunt through the museum and board the tall ship James Craig $10 per student (James Craig $2 extra per student)

Navigators tour only – $6 per student

Endeavour only – $8 per student

Endeavour & Navigators package – $12 per student

International Polar Palooza 12 & 13

November

Years 5–12 Science, Geography, HSIE

International Polar Palooza brings together an international team of researchers in biology, geology, oceanography and climate studies. This amazing show features mesmerising presentations and high-definition videos of wildlife from both Poles, including penguins, polar bears, seals and birdlife, as well as a series of remarkable visualisations generated by NASA satellite showing shrinking sea ice. Students will be able to view polar artefacts, fossils and even ancient sea-ice cores! This project is made possible by support from the American National Science Foundation and, in Australia, by speakers from the Australian Antarctic Division. School programs $5 per student, accompanying teachers free

1950s advertising poster ANMM collection International Polar Palooza poster Page 29 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Page 30 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Suzy Wong at the 2007 Sydney Festival. Photographer Keith Saunders

From the 2007 Sydney Festival to this year’s Australian Wooden Boat Festival in Hobart, this little Hong Kong junk has performed as a floating artwork. But that’s just the latest episode in a long and colourful life as an exotic immigrant to Australia, say her owner Scott Rankin and creative producer Michelle Kotevski.

The extraordinary life of

Suzy Wong

A BEAUTIFUL, traditional Chinese junk weaves its way along darkened waterways, an apparition to onshore audiences. Travelling in her own pool of light, her sails are set and smothered in moving images: film excerpts, photographs, maps, portraits and text. From her decks wafts an eerie, anthemic soundscape.

This extraordinary, kinetic artwork called Junk Theory featured at the 2007 Sydney Festival on Sydney Harbour and Port Hacking. As well as scheduled events in Jubilee Park, Lavender Bay, Woolwich Dock and Manly, there were impromptu shows for fishermen, lovers in parks and

threads came together when a member of that family turned Suzy Wong into a floating art form in response to the 2005 riots at Cronulla Beach in Sydney’s Sutherland shire, a social disturbance that shook the nation to its multicultural core.

The intention was to turn the junk into a moving screen on which to project the rich cultural diversity of Cronulla.

Getting there was a long voyage.

Like many of us, Suzy Wong came to Australia from overseas. Like many of us, she has survived and adapted to her new environment to become a part of our history.

Like many of us, the junk Suzy Wong has survived and adapted to her new environment to become a part of our history

countless other viewers along the way. Junk Theory then went on to the Adelaide Bank Festival of the Arts in 2008, and most recently to Tasmania for this year’s Australian Wooden Boat Festival and the state’s Ten Days on the Island festival. There are many threads to the story of this little junk called Suzy Wong, built in Hong Kong 40 years ago but for most of that time a most unusual denizen of Sydney waterways, and the home of a unique Australian family. Some of those

Suzy Wong, built in 1959, arrived in Australia with two other Hong Kong junks in 1960. They were imported to test the market, to see if they would sell in Australia, but there’s no doubt that they were too exotic for those times.

Suzy Wong was often the butt of jokes, triggered by her very foreign lines and unfamiliar rig.

The name she arrived under derives from the bestselling 1957 novel The World of Suzie Wong by Englishman Richard

Mason, a colonial Hong Kong romance about a bar girl. The story would be adapted into a play, a hit film and a ballet, and the name would become synonymous with Western fantasies of Eastern women.

Suzy Wong lay unused on Sydney Harbour for most of her first three years. Over time the other two junks were lost, the larger one catching fire and the smaller one sinking. Suzy was acquired by Sydney-sider Alwyn Rankin in 1963.

Alwyn was living with his family of five in a boatshed on the shores of the Lane Cove River. The local council didn’t like this arrangement, and said that they couldn’t live there permanently.

Alwyn bought the junk because it was roomy enough for his family, consisting of his wife Chris and children Scott, Penelope and Francis. The boat had a mooring and the use of a jetty on the Lane Cove River. Unfortunately the waterways authority, known then as the Maritime Services Board, didn’t approve of them living on board permanently either. So when the council enquired, they would be living on the junk. When the Maritime Services Board enquired, they would be living in the boatshed.

During the many years that Suzy Wong was home for the Rankin family on the Lane Cove River, she became a feature of

Page 31 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

– from learning to sail in Mirror and Cherub dinghies, collecting eggs from the junk’s pet ducks off the jetty for breakfast, to falling overboard in school uniform and handing in soggy homework. This way of life has been continued by family members as they’ve grown up and moved away. They have lived on islands in Crete, in water-access homes on the Hawkesbury River or close to the water in Manly, in Bundeena on Port Hacking, and in beautiful Boat Harbour on Tasmania’s north-west coast where the next generation has learnt to sail Sabots out in Bass Strait.

Suzy Wong was lightly constructed in comparison to other timber vessels of her size, and the Chinese shipwrights who built her didn’t finish her to fine yacht standards. For years it was a constant battle to keep her maintained, in the Lane Cove River – where the boat was struck by lightning when one refit was nearly

Trucks and ships crossing Bass Strait took Suzy Wong the

furthest she

had ever been from her native Hong Kong

Sydney Harbour. Every year at Christmas she could be seen cruising the foreshores with a choir made up of family and friends singing carols on board, and Chinese lanterns strung between the masts. The junk often took youth groups for picnics to Shark and Clarke Island during the summer. The family spent Christmas holidays at Clontarf in Middle Harbour in the 1960s and 70s, and Suzy was often part of the spectator fleet at the start of the Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race.

Over the years Suzy Wong was used by filmmakers and advertising companies in television ads and movies. On one occasion a Hong Kong-based company came to Australia to use her in an advertising campaign to sell paint in Hong Kong, because they couldn’t find a suitable junk there.

The Rankins eventually left the Lane Cove River and Alwyn and his wife Chris lived for many years at Berowra Waters, a tributary of the Hawkesbury River, where Suzy Wong was quietly moored during the late 1980s and 1990s.

Having lived between the boat and the boatshed, water and sailing has been a way of life for the Rankin children

complete – and later at Berowra Waters. In the late 1980s and early 1990s Suzy was stripped bare and, as money permitted, underwent a slow and extensive refit. Alwyn Rankin – who battled MS for 16 years – continued the project while he could, before his son Scott took over.

Many different shipwrights assisted with this work over the years, and the refit was completed at Fairlight at Hugh Treharne’s marina. Suzy Wong was fitted with an unreliable Universal petrol engine in the early days. This was replaced by a Volvo Penta diesel and she has most recently had a 37 hp Yanmar Sail Drive installed, which suits her needs perfectly.

Alwyn lived until January 2008, able to see Suzy Wong back on the water after being restored, and her comeback performing the Junk Theory project – a floating multimedia installation produced by his son Scott’s company Big hART Inc.

Big hART is a prolific, award-winning arts and social-change organisation and Scott Rankin has been its national creative director since its establishment in 1992 on the north-west coast of

Tasmania. Big hART specialises in creating new Australian film, theatre and multimedia art works with individuals and communities on the margins of our society, tackling important social issues.

In December 2005 the violence that began on Cronulla beach between groups from different cultural backgrounds, and its media coverage, caused heartache across the Sutherland Shire and Sydney. The reverberations were felt around the country and overseas. Two of Big hART’s team members had strong connections to the Sutherland Shire and were prompted to work with the community to move forward from this traumatic event.

Scott Rankin had lived in the quiet village of Bundeena, across Port Hacking from Cronulla, for 10 years. Michelle Kotevski had, since childhood, spent much of her free time on Sutherland shire beaches. Both believed that an immediate and positive response was needed to begin to address the broader social issues that underpinned the riots. Suzy Wong was summoned from her mooring in Fairlight to become a central part of this rebuilding and healing process.

With the fundamental belief that it’s harder to hurt someone when you know their story, Big hART’s aim was to build meaningful connections between diverse individuals and groups – both those that were marginalised and those that were mainstream – and to forge relationships that would develop understanding and bind the community together.

In the lead-up to the anniversary of the riots, when media commentators would return to further dissect the community, Big hART’s team of professional artists, community workers and producers set about drawing the diverse individuals and groups within the Sutherland shire together to examine themselves and each other in a new light. The creative task was to develop a major new multimedia installation to premiere on the Port Hacking River in Cronulla on the anniversary of the riots, and then to appear throughout Sydney Harbour as part of the 2007 Sydney Festival.

Participating in Junk Theory were 101 people of all ages from 22 different cultural backgrounds within the Sutherland shire, including Chinese,

BELOW: Authors Scott Rankin and Michelle Kotevski. Scott is the owner of Suzy Wong

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 32

Photographer James Waites

Suzy Wong spreads her new rig for the first time after refit. The boat’s traditional lines emerge as she’s travel-lifted from the water.

Egyptian, Iranian, Sudanese, Italian, Irish, Anglo Saxon, Greek and Croatian. They were supported by partnerships with over 20 local organisations including the Cronulla Chamber of Commerce, Gymea Community Resource Centre, Hazelhurst Regional Art Gallery and local police.

Photographer Keith Saunders mentored isolated young people within the community and brought them together with older citizens to develop a series of intimate photographic portraits. Composer Wei Zen Ho worked with participants and other artists to develop a haunting composition and soundscape, while filmmaker Michael Bates developed the central film work, interpreting the themes that emerged from workshops and interviews. Those themes included sanctuary, conflagration, alienation, Chinese whispers, tension and release, myth and memory, old and new. Cronulla came to symbolise many communities in Australia that are experiencing change. Years on from the historical moment of the riots, Junk Theory’s surreal nature, universal themes and strange otherness still have resonance for communities and festival directors around the country. As a result, this gentle little ship and artwork have toured the country.

In 2008 Junk Theory was invited to the Adelaide Bank Festival of the Arts, and Suzy Wong was loaded onto a truck to make the long journey to the Torrens. Three days of road vibrations took their toll on her delicate planks and she took on too much water when relaunched. She was gently craned out of the river again for emergency repairs in Elder Park in front of the Adelaide Festival Centre, before returning to the water to pirouette for 12,000 festival-goers on the Torrens.

Firmly established as a festival performer, Suzy Wong was invited to Tasmania in early 2009. Trucks and ships crossing Bass Strait took her the furthest she had ever been from her native Hong Kong. At the Australian Wooden Boat Festival a number of older shipwrights came and made themselves known to Suzy’s owners, saying they remembered working on her during the 1960s, ’70s or ’80s in and around Sydney. They were amazed to see her fully restored.

Page 33 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Photographer Scott Rankin

On 28 March Junk Theory opened Ten Days On the Island, Tasmania’s biennial arts festival which takes over the entire state. Suzy Wong sailed into Constitution Dock to an expectant audience of 2,000 people. Composer and performer Wei Zen Ho sang the siren songs of Junk Theory from the wheelhouse roof, dancing in the light of the projections and casting a shadow dance on the sails. Audiences cheered, waved and clapped at her arrival on the windy Hobart night.

Junk Theory mesmerised other audiences on the Derwent, Huon and Tamar Rivers. In the pitch-black surrounds of Huonville children and adults walked up and down the river for 40 minutes, following Suzy Wong’s every move. Their smiling faces could be seen from onboard, awash with the dappled light of the junk. Locals at Old Beach held a dinner on the jetty in honour of the show. Audiences at Bellerive were entertained by a string quartet before Suzy appeared to perform her balletic dance.

On a still and warm night in Gravelly Beach, with a fast tide running, an eight-year-old boy raced to herald her arrival, calling along the foreshore ‘The junk ship is coming, the junk ship is coming!’ High winds robbed her of the opportunity to serenade audiences in George Town, but during a short lull in the weather Suzy Wong raised one sail and performed to a supportive audience at the George Town Yacht Club.

On the final weekend of the festival, Launceston’s seagulls and swans gathered along with a thousand people watching from the boardwalk. Suzy Wong’s last exit was made with the image of a bride’s veil blowing in the wind on the mainsail, and Chinese lanterns swinging in the breeze.

Suzy Wong will now live between Launceston on the Tamar River and the north-west coast where Scott and his family live. She may be used for other projects around the country, but it is more likely she’ll spend a peaceful time in semi-retirement exploring the Tamar Valley wineries and cruising the river with a new set of leeboards. 

Scott Rankin is the national creative director of Big hART and owner of Suzy Wong. Michelle Kotevski is the creative producer of Junk Theory. See www.junktheory.org

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 34

Junk Theory brings intercultural multimedia to waterside audiences. Photographer Prudence Upton

Signals in online archive

Our library is digitising valuable research resources for instant access, our librarian Frances Prentice reveals. They include every edition of Signals anmm.smedia.com.au/Olive/AM3/anmmdigital

IN 2004 at the Vaughan Evans Library, we decided that we needed something more than passive conservation measures to preserve our valuable research collection. Increasing numbers of researchers were making heavy use of some collections, in particular the 1920s–30s Australian Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly, the second-oldest Australian recreational boating publication after The Anchor (1911–12).

Published in Sydney by the Motor Yacht Club of New South Wales, Australian Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly is a primary resource for profiles of new vessels, race results, biographical articles on prominent figures in Australian yachting and the early years of motor boating, notes from around the shipyards, and articles on cruising around Australia and the Pacific. It’s a vast source of information, and a surge of interest in restoring classic boats has led many to seek out references to specific boats or designs, and to request copies of articles.

We could see the fragile old magazines deteriorating with each use. This was not an isolated experience, as much of our research collection had come to us after long and frequent use in shipyards, shipping companies or newspaper offices.

At the same time we needed to make preservation copies of the museum’s quarterly journal Signals, which started as a modest newsletter in 1986 when the museum first began. In June 2004 we sent off our first small consignment to digital imaging specialists W & F Pascoe. Year by year we have tucked away funds from our library budget to add more items of digitised content.

From the beginning of our preservation project our colleagues at Mystic Seaport were our inspiration. Their pioneering work in creating a selection of digital library resources, in partnership with the Mellon Foundation, has been invaluable for researching American ships (see http://library.mysticseaport. org). By 2008 we had accumulated quite

a few files and were looking for a repository solution to house them. The digital archive project was born.

Our objective was to create a repository in XML (an open text-based storage format) to handle books, journals and registers, plus newer digital versions of issues of Signals. We needed to have a browser-based interface with free text search, and also year and issue browse capabilities. Many digital archive projects, mainly for newspapers, were happening around the world. The interface developed for the Papers Past project at the National Library of New Zealand (http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz), using the open source Greenstone software, was a quantum leap in usability and also gave us something to aspire to.

Our development partners chosen for the project were Smedia in Melbourne, well-known developers of software solutions for newspaper archives and online magazines. Their philanthropy helped us secure a solution comprising a hosted archive and sophisticated user interface that we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. Our greatest challenge was to get products designed for daily newspapers or online magazines to cope with all of our formats – books, journals and annuals. We ended up choosing the Active Magazine interface. We created

multiple archives for each of the different titles to make searching and browsing easier, and also an all-in-one search across all titles in the archive.

With the archive up and running those hardworking hard copies can now look forward to a longer and quieter life on the library shelves. So far we’ve added:

• Signals No. 1 1986 until the present (except for the current issue, so Members can enjoy their real paper copy as a membership benefit!)

• Australian Motor Boat and Yachting Monthly 1925–1930

• Lloyds Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1851, 1861

• The Register of Australian and New Zealand Shipping 1874–1929 (incomplete)

• Two hard-to-find and useful titles from our rare book collection. 

The Vaughan Evans Library would like to thank the following for their support and advice during the project: Alan Clarke and Michael Pascoe from W & F Pascoe for their super imaging; Francis Armstrong and Tony Yeagles at Smedia for their work in developing the archive; colleagues at ANMM Jan Harbison, Jeffrey Mellefont, Dianne Churchill.

Page 35 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Red sky at night is the sailor’s delight

Red sky at morning, sailor take warning

Mackerel skies and mares’ tails

Make tall ships carry small sails

When the porpoise jumps Stand by your pumps

Long foretold, long last Short notice, soon past

First rise after low Foretells a stronger blow

With the rain before the wind

Topsails you must closely mind

But if the wind’s before the rain

Topsails you may set again

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 36

Entrance to Sydney Harbour in a July storm that’s grown from a low pressure system forming just off the coast – exactly the same weather pattern that led to Sydney’s worst shipwreck, the Dunbar disaster of 1857. Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

Ways of watching weather

Inspired by a story in our recent Charles Darwin anniversary exhibition, education specialists at the museum have developed a school program about weather in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology and Sydney Observatory. Education officer Marina Comino talks about the weather.

WHEREVER we live and whatever we do, our lives are influenced by the weather. As the traditional verses on the opposite page show us, seafarers have been among those who are most concerned to understand and predict this phenomenon, the weather, that is so renowned for its variability and unpredictability.

Earlier this year the Australian National Maritime Museum entered into a collaboration with some weather-wise colleagues from the Bureau of Meteorology and Sydney Observatory (administered by the Powerhouse Museum) to develop an education program for schools. This resource, which can be used by students before, during or after visits to the museum, incorporates activities based on the measurement of weather and demonstrates the vital importance of weather forecasting.

The inspiration for this program came from the museum’s recent temporary exhibition entitled Charles Darwin –Voyages and ideas that shook the world, which ran from March to August this year to mark the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, and the 150th anniversary of publication of his famous work On the origin of species

In the exhibition was a barometer based on the work of Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle during Charles Darwin’s

voyage of 1831–36. FitzRoy was a pioneering meteorologist whose work made the barometer a vital tool for predicting weather. The FitzRoy barometer on display bristles with information about how to interpret the changes in air pressure that it measures. Also displayed were his groundbreaking publication The Weather Book (1863), and examples of his forecast maps and cloud charts.

All this got us thinking about the importance of weather and how we might incorporate some of our display material into an education program. After all, people have been attempting to explain

opposite page, linking changes in the weather to other natural phenomena. These sayings were passed down from generation to generation and many are still in use today.

The scientific study of weather, meteorology, has been developing over the centuries. The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC) wrote a book called Meteorologica which attempted to record all known types of weather. The astronomer and mathematician Galileo Galilei (1564–1642) has been credited with inventing the first thermometer and one of his students, Evangelista Torricelli, the first barometer.

Seafarers have been among those who are most concerned to understand and predict this phenomenon, the weather

the weather for centuries. It’s not hard to imagine why we humans originally explained a beautiful rainbow or a dramatic lightning strike as the work of supernatural beings.

For centuries Australian Indigenous people closely observed the behaviour of plants, animals and weather at different times of the year to enable them to manage seasonal resources and conditions. Farmers and sailors devised sayings such as those quoted on the

You can understand why Beagle’s captain Robert FitzRoy (1805–1865) was inspired to improve mariners’ awareness of weather. Off the coast of Patagonia in South America, the ship was caught in a terrible storm that flared up with very little warning and two of the crew drowned. FitzRoy started to look for ways to predict bad weather of this sort and investigated the connection between barometric pressure and the development of storms at sea.

Page 37 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

BELOW: Display about the pioneering meteorologist Captain Robert FitzRoy of the Beagle, from our recent Charles Darwin exhibition. Includes FitzRoy’s mercury barometer. Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

In 1854 he took charge of the first British Meteorological Office and devoted himself to devising a practical storm warning system. He had already developed a device called a storm glass and had used it to forecast the weather

Australia’s dependency on shipping and agriculture has remained an important part of its history. Weather records and forecasting have therefore been very important from the beginning of European settlement. Soon after the

FitzRoy investigated the connection between barometric pressure and the development of storms at sea

while on the Beagle voyage. The storm glass was filled with water and a mixture of chemicals, working on the principle that temperature and pressure affect solubility. Clear liquid in the storm glass indicated that the weather would be bright and clear. In other conditions precipitants formed, giving the liquid a cloudy appearance. According to FitzRoy, a cloudy glass with small stars indicated thunderstorms. The mixture developed by FitzRoy included distilled water, ethanol, potassium nitrate, ammonium chloride and camphor.

He also developed detailed new information about how to interpret the movement of mercury in barometers, created weather forecasting maps, issued marine weather reports in newspapers and sent barometers to seaports all over Britain. Later he set up weather stations across Britain and linked them to his office by the new telegraph system. By collating all the data sent to him FitzRoy was able to develop a weather forecasting method that was of life-saving importance to the Royal Navy, the shipping and fishing industries and indeed all seafaring communities.

In 1859 a massive storm hit Britain and the ship Royal Charter was wrecked near Liverpool, England. More than 400 of the ship’s passengers and crew were killed and many more lost their lives on land as the storm raged along the coast. FitzRoy drew synoptic charts for the days before and after the storm to show how it could have been anticipated and how warnings could have been issued.

The Times newspaper issued the first weather forecast in Britain in 1860. Three years later FitzRoy published The Weather Book which included examples of his forecast maps and cloud charts. At first his ideas were not welcomed or accepted by scientists and government officials, who had always seen weather as an unpredictable part of nature. However, as time went on his work was not only accepted but seen as a major breakthrough.

arrival of the First Fleet, Lieutenant Dawes, under direction of the British Board of Longitude, established an observatory at Flagstaff Hill on Dawes Point. In 1858, a new observatory at Dawes Point enabled regular observations of the weather to be made. Astronomer H C Russell continued the work from 1870 and produced Australia’s first weather map in 1877. The observatory continued its role until the establishment of the Bureau of Meteorology in 1907.

The museum’s new education program entitled Ways of Watching Weather focuses on natural weather occurrences and their effects on boating and shipping. Students have the opportunity to identify various elements of weather, appreciate the power of natural weather phenomena and understand ways in which people use technology to try to predict the weather and modify their behaviour accordingly. Working cooperatively in groups, students make observations using appropriate equipment, record their observations, make predictions and propose explanations.

Students have the opportunity to tour the galleries to visit two particular weatherrelated stories. One is a display in our major exhibition Watermarks: adventure, sport and play, highlighting the tragic events of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race when a fierce storm wreaked havoc on the race fleet, sinking five yachts and killing six competitors.

The other story, found in our Passengers exhibition, highlights the horrific wreck of the clipper Dunbar during a typical Sydney winter storm in 1857. At the very end of its voyage from England, the ship missed the harbour entrance in the pitch dark night and stormy condions and was smashed to pieces against the sea cliffs with the loss of all but one of the 122 people on board.

The students then use resource material to explain the weather conditions associated with the stories they have examined in the exhibitions. They also have the

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 38

opportunity to inspect the largest object in the gallery, the yacht Blackmore’s First Lady that wqsw made famous by Australian yachtswoman Kaye Cottee AO, who in 1988 became the first woman to complete a single-handed, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. Students can follow her route and investigate the weather conditions she experienced during her voyage.

The museum’s weather education program also introduces students to the Beaufort Scale, the internationally recognised system of describing wind and weather using a graduated, 12-stage scale – from calm to hurricane – that made

related observation: ‘In order to be able to forecast anywhere, you have to be able to forecast everywhere.’ The invention of radar, satellites and computers, and in particular the internet, have made this possible, with huge advances in the measurement and distribution of meteorological information.

Contemporary meteorologists aim to predict weather conditions at sea accurately, just as Robert FitzRoy did in the 19th century. Today, however, they use satellites to continually measure sealevel, sea surface temperature and wind. Over 3,000 free-drifting Argo robotic ocean profilers have been deployed

Familiarity with basic weather principles is essential to understanding the current discussion on climate change

recording wind speed and its effects consistent and systematic. It was introduced by Rear Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774–1857), a contemporary of Captain FitzRoy and Hydrographer of Britain’s Royal Navy from 1829 to 1855.

In 1839 the British art critic and social thinker John Ruskin remarked: ‘The meteorologist is impotent if alone; his observations are useless for they are made upon a point, while the speculations to be derived from them must be made on space.’ Years later the head of the UK National Meteorological Centre made a

worldwide to observe the upper two kilometres of ocean and transmit data to satellites.

Weather may be renowned for its variability and unpredictability, yet over a longer period it occurs in regular patterns that create our overall climate. Familiarity with basic weather principles is essential to understanding the current discussion on climate change. Over the last 30 to 40 years temperature and rainfall patterns across Australia have been changing. These changes could mean significant adjustments in human

LEFT: Synoptic chart shows the fronts associated with a deep low-pressure cell that caused havoc to the 1998 Sydney–Hobart yacht race fleet. Reproduced courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology

BELOW: Safety equipment on display in the exhibition about the stormy 1998 Sydney–Hobart yacht race. Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

activities and lifestyle, and may also have implications for economic and political decision making.

The students of today will be the decision makers of tomorrow. We hope our education program on weather will help to equip them with some of the knowledge that those decisions will depend upon. 

ABOVE: Cover of the museum’s educational resource Ways of watching weather.

Page 39 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Australians regain sail speed record

Aussie innovation has once again captured a world water speed record – using a technology that has its roots in Pacific prehistory. Story by curator of the museum’s Australian Register of Historic Vessels, David Payne.

THE EXHIBITION Vaka Moana –Voyages of the Ancestors, displayed at this museum last summer, featured examples of Pacific-Island proas. Proas are single-outrigger vessels designed to lift the windward hull out of the water, increasing speed by reducing drag while the weight of the outrigger (and any crew seated on it) provides a righting balance to resist heeling. A favourite of mine in this exhibition was a model racing proa made of bits of timber and flax, with an extraordinarily long outrigger arm, designed to be raced on the sheltered waters of island lagoons. Closer to home, proa-shaped models operating on the same principle are raced by Indigenous Australians at Erub Island in the Torres Strait.

Here in 21st-century Australia it’s been happening for real in a full-size, hi-tech proa, and the team behind it has set a world speed record for a yacht, breaking through the elusive 50-knot barrier.

The proa-like vessel Macquarie Innovation and the Melbourne-based

team behind it are testament to Australian determination, and another example of Australians setting speed records on the water on a shoe-string budget. The world’s fastest boat is Ken Warby’s Spirit of Australia, on display here since the museum first opened, and one of our cherished icons. Warby set his first record in 1977 with a $65 surplus air-force jet engine, and then swapped the engine for a better one and went on to break the 500 km/h barrier the following year.

Now the world’s fastest sailing-yacht speed record is back in Australian hands, held by Macquarie Innovation which in March this year posted an official 50.07 knots (92.73 km/h). It was crewed by Simon McKeon and Tim Daddo and supported by a team of volunteers, donors and a talented but modest designer, Lindsay Cunningham, all of whom had worked toward their goal over a 15-year period. This is the same team that in 1993 sailed an earlier version of their craft, Yellow Pages Endeavour, to a world sailing speed record of 46.52 knots

BELOW: It’s Simon McKeon (left) who steers while Tim

RIGHT: Wearing crash helmets in a pod designed to throw them clear if disaster ever strikes, the crew pilots Macquarie Innovation through the 50-knot barrier. Images reproduced courtesy of Steb Fisher Photography © 2009

( 86.52 km/h). This mark then stood for 11 years until being overtaken by a sailboard. Macquarie Innovation is a development of Yellow Pages Endeavour Sailing speed records grew out of the days when speed was a selling point for clippers competing to provide the fastest passages for passengers, or to bring home the first high-value luxury cargos of the season, such as tea from China. The traditional measure was of nautical miles run in a 24hour period, and the day’s average speed in knots. Ocean-going yachts still measure themselves against this benchmark. In 2007 the 31.39-metre (103-ft) French trimaran Groupama 3 covered 794 nm in 24 hours, at an average 33.08 knots.

In the 20th century, official protocols were developed for measuring bursts of velocity over a short measured course, averaging the speed achieved on two runs made within a defined time period. By the 1980s the recently-invented planing sailboards had edged out more conventional craft, to dominate the world sailing speed record for many years.

Lindsay Cunningham of Melbourne is a successful designer of International C-Class catamarans, a highly innovative multi-hull racing class that now predominantly uses a wing rig instead of a conventional sail plan. Cunningham reasoned that while the planing sailboard was an ideal hull form for the pursuit of speed records, a fixed wing would be a more efficient sail plan. (This Museum owns an Australian C-Class catamaran that pioneered wingsail technology, Miss Nylex Designed by Roy Martin, Miss Nylex won the 1974 Little America’s Cup for C-class cats and held an early Australian sailing speed record of 24 knots.)

Daddo trims the rig.

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 40

In pursuit of the world sailing speed record, Cunningham’s unique design concept was to create a three-point proa configuration with two sailboard-inspired planing surfaces to leeward of the rig, balanced on the windward side by the crew in a pod-type hull. This lifted clear of the water once the craft was underway. The two sailboard-type hulls are located fore and aft and a short span to leeward of the solid wing sail, with the crew weight applying its force about a longer span to windward to balance the huge sail power being generated.

What we have, heading down the course sideways, is a second-order lever – but it is upside-down compared to the conventional application of the principle, such as the wheelbarrow. And we also have something that looks like it belongs in an H G Wells scenario, a dynamic tripod that skis on water at 25 metres per second.

Yellow Pages Endeavour proved the validity of the concept, but eventually lost its record to another sailboard. Even now the current outright speed record of 50.57 knots is held by a kitesail craft – a planing sailboard-type hull powered by a parachute-like, softaerofoil kite – a craft that is often airborne rather than always touching the water. Becoming airborne is a condition now sanctioned by the governing body in London, the World Sailing Speed Record Council, with a division of the classes that recognises the distinction between vessels with attached sails of different areas, and the kite-propelled craft.

Macquarie Innovation has many detailed improvements over Yellow Pages Endeavour and in trials has had bursts of speed that match the kite craft. Until

now, however, sailing over the approved 500-metre course with correction factors to allow for any tidal movement, Macquarie Innovation has set a mark ratified at 50.07 knots. This is a new record for its class of competition, but moreover this is the first yacht to break 50 knots. The team’s instruments show that at one point they were doing over 54 knots, or 100 km/h.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this achievement is that the record has been broken in an average wind

team can run the craft very close to shore in smooth water.

The curious-looking machine is a modern carbon-fibre composite construction, light and stiff. The beams are also supported by rigging and spreaders. The wing is made of foam and heat-shrink cloth, with a low-aspect-ratio solid sail that reduces heeling moment, limiting factor to the craft’s potential performance. The total structure weighs less than 200 kilograms. It is designed to set records in winds of around 20 knots. The team has concentrated its efforts on the efficiency of the two planing hulls, which create the most drag per unit of area. There is not much to play with: each hull has only about 0.2 square metres of surface area in contact with the water.

Macquarie Innovation is a truly specialised craft, able to sail only on starboard tack. It has to be towed backwards up the course before making another run. An onshore support team manages the entire operation, based out of a 40-foot shipping container. It is an operation calling for true patience, since waiting for the optimum conditions can mean long periods of inactivity. In contrast, the actual sailing time is measured in minutes and the craft rockets across its measured course in about 20 seconds.

Here in 21st-century Australia a hi-tech proa has set a world speed record, breaking the elusive 50-knot barrier

speed of 24 knots. In earlier trials Macquarie Innovation set a record of 48 knots in only 15 knots of wind! It is the most efficient sail-powered craft to break a record, sailing with an apparent wind angle of around 25 degrees while on a broad-reaching course, 90 degrees or so relative to the actual wind direction. What this means is that the faster the craft goes, the more the wind direction – as it’s felt on the boat –moves forward until it appears to be blowing almost head-on. At the same time this apparent wind becomes stronger as the yacht’s speed is added to the actual wind’s speed.

All this took place at Shallow Inlet, Sandy Point, just inside Wilsons Promontory in Victoria. The inlet is separated from Bass Strait by a low and wide sand spit that creates a perfect wave barrier. When consistent southwest winds come in across the spit, the

There is more potential to be found in Macquarie Innovation, but the team also sees new design fields that are now there to be explored since the World Sailing Speed Record Council has accepted kite craft, with their potential to become airborne at times. Having unequivocally sailed a yacht past the Holy Grail of 50 knots, the team is now free to embark on a different tack in the pursuit of speed across the water generated by the wind.

The museum’s outright world water speed record holder, Spirit of Australia, had two connections to flight technology, its jet engine and the Cessna tail plane at the rear. One of Ken Warby’s problems, however, was staying in contact with the water. Taking off would have been catastrophic and fatal, just as it was for the late Sir Donald Campbell and some other record seekers. However for the Macquarie Innovation team it really could be that the sky is the limit. 

Page 41 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

Cultural adjustments

Chahin Baker’s name was unveiled on the Welcome Wall on 31 May 2009 when, as a guest speaker, he shared some of his experiences as a migrant to Australia. Welcome Wall coordinator Helen Jones wrote this profile.

CHAHIN BAKER was born near the Kurdish town Kobani in northern Syria in 1946, and as a teenager in 1965 was sent by his father to study at one of the ‘better quality’ European universities. On a visit to the cinema in Vienna, Chahin saw a documentary portraying Australia as the land of opportunity and he liked what he saw. Shortly afterwards he applied for entry and was given both a visa to Australia and an airline ticket – in those days the Australian immigration office gave them away free!

Despite being advised by his professors in Germany not to migrate, since Australia was ‘too far away from the rest of the world’, Chahin borrowed $100 from a friend and left for London in 1968 where he boarded a plane with a big kangaroo on the tail – his first introduction to an Australian icon. In Sydney he was put on a bus to the Bonegilla migrant camp, and soon after to Villawood Migrant Centre. It was here that culture shock set in, as it does for many migrants. He remembered the words of his professors and longed to return to Europe.

From the beginning his goal was to improve his command of English, which he had studied from year 7 in Syria. While attending an English language class in Marrickville he was advised that, since his English was much more advanced than the other students, he would do better just to read newspapers with the help of a good dictionary, talk to people and listen to the radio, all of which he did. He speaks Kurdish, Arabic, German and Turkish as well as English.

Despite being advised by his professors not to migrate, Chahin borrowed $100 from a friend and boarded a plane

He rented his first room in Marrickville for $10 a week and soon found employment. In 1970, while working for MAN truck assembly in Kurri Kurri, he met his wife Robyn. After their marriage in 1971 they settled in Sydney where he was put in charge of a service team at Lanock Motors. In his first weeks cultural differences that he grappled with included the casual swear words used by some of his colleagues. They were confronting because he took them as a sign of disrespect. Over time, however, Chahin learned to adapt to the environment and became more used to such ‘Aussie’ customs.

Chahin’s original plan was to spend a few years in Australia and then return to Germany. In 1973 he did go back to Germany with his wife so that he could finish his studies, but after nine months Robyn was keen to return to Australia. It was then that Chahin decided to call Australia home. This meant starting his study all over again at Macquarie University, somehow fitting in both work and full-time studies to obtain his Bachelor of Arts and Diploma of Education by 1977. Chahin became one of the pioneers of multicultural programs designed for schools at the NSW Department of Education and Training (DET). He also taught languages at Casula High School and Bankstown Girls High School for about 14 years. In all, he worked for DET for 26 years, including his last years there as an attendance officer.

Chahin has been active with the Kurdish community in Australia. In 1979 he became president of the first Kurdish association in Australia, a position he held for five years. In 1982 he started the first radio program in English and Kurdish on Radio 2SER FM, which lasted about 18 months. In 1985 he started the Kurdish Language Program on Radio 2EA (later SBS). Currently he is the program’s executive producer presenting a one-hour program each week. Chahin is also a prominent Kurdish writer. Seven books, including two novels and volumes of short stories and poems, have been

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 42

The museum’s tribute to migrants, The Welcome Wall, encourages people to recall and record their stories of coming to live in Australia.

published – in Bonn, Stockholm, Brussels, Duhok (Iraqi Kurdistan), Diyarbekir and Istanbul.

His Kurdish pen name is Shahin Bekir Sorekli – his family is known by the name ‘Sorekli’ in the Kurdish regions of Syria. Chahin’s first name is normally spelled ‘Shahin’ but the French-educated Syrian officer who wrote his name in his original passport substituted ‘ch’. His second name is pronounced ‘Bakker’ in Kurdish and ‘Bakr’ in Arabic but was written as ‘Baker’ by the same officer.

Chahin’s background is rural; his father was a landowner and farmer. He was originally against the idea of the rest of his family migrating because they were well-off where they were, and he was worried that a lack of higher education would impede their success in Australia. He had seen this happen to other migrants. In the end, however, he helped his sister and brother-in-law to migrate to Australia after they pestered him non-stop! As a result he now has eight nephews here in Sydney.

Chahin was expected to return home after finishing his studies in Europe, but it was some 31 years after his departure that he first returned to Syria. He’s been back four times now, and his wife and children have also visited. Like many migrants there’s an ever-present feeling of guilt at the back of his mind. His father, mother and a number of close relatives have now passed away and he has missed other important occasions.

But in the last 10 years, Chahin has finally accepted that he will permanently stay in Australia, a country he loves and calls home. He has visited many countries and views Australia as a place where migrants can flourish. Looking at the current turmoil in the Middle East he considers himself very lucky to have come here. 

Photographer A Frolows/ANMM

ABOVE: Three new panels with 1,170 new names were unveiled by museum director Mary-Louise Williams and special guest, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Peter Garrett MP.

Photographer A Frolows/ANMM

ABOVE LEFT: Chahin Baker addresses the crowd at our May ceremony to welcome new Welcome Wall registrants.

Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

It costs just $105 to register a name and honour your family’s arrival in this great country! We’d love to add your family’s name to The Welcome Wall, cast in bronze, and your story to the online database at www.anmm.gov.au/ww. So please don’t hesitate to call our staff during business hours with any enquiries regarding the project on 02 9298 3667.

TOP: The Welcome Wall ceremony was presented on board the Aqua Shell, a floating stage designed by Phillip Cox AO, the same architect who gave us the Australian National Maritime Museum.

Page 43 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

OFF-WATCH READING

See you later, my love

My dear Bess: The letters of George & Elizabeth Bass by Miriam Estensen. Publisher Allen&Unwin, Sydney 2009. Hardcover, 176 pp ISBN 9781741756814. RRP $45

IN THIS ERA of immediate communication, whether it be by telephone or the internet, it’s hard to fathom how you’d feel not hearing from your only love for seven months. That’s the agony Elizabeth Bass felt when her husband of only three months –George Bass – sailed from England to the other side of the world. That’s Bass of Bass and Flinders fame, the Tom Thumb adventures, the co-discoverer of Bass Strait.

George Bass sailed with Matthew Flinders and Henry Waterhouse in HMS Reliance when it brought John Hunter to Sydney as governor in 1795. The three men remained friends and although their paths were different they all died rather sad deaths. Flinders returned in 1801–1803 and circumnavigated Australia, was detained in Mauritius for eight years on the way home and died in 1814 just as his great expedition report was published. Waterhouse remained with the Royal Navy but did not secure another command; he died in 1812 of an illness possibly related to alcoholism. Back in England Bass married his friend’s sister Elizabeth Waterhouse in October 1800, went to sea again and disappeared off the face of the earth sometime in 1803, having never been reunited with his ‘dear Bess’.

This latest offering from the prolific Miriam Estensen brings us the personal and often heart-wrenching letters of Bess and George – those that survived, that is. The two wrote many letters to each other but sadly many never arrived, and others

have been lost or destroyed. Those transcribed here are in the safe hands of the Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW.

The letters themselves don’t really make rivetting reading but then they weren’t written for others to read. Rather, they document the love of two people separated by thousands of miles for what turned out to be the rest of their lives.

Bess frequently refers to herself as your poor little Wife and her spelling is so bad as to be quite distracting! George found it so as well … Dear Wife, do my love get into the habit of spelling a little better; thou art a most notorious destroyer of good old english. On her part, Bess was so depressed at being parted from her husband and rarely hearing from him that she wrote, I go out but seldom when I do I receive no pleasure, I can attend to nothing you wished me in short I am always seeking for something I cannot find, that is a much loved and dear Husband. She was so committed to her marriage to George that she did not remarry even when she finally (and most reluctantly) accepted that he was unlikely to return.

The letters offer a brief insight into the lives of Bess and George. As a married woman in 19th-century England there was an expectation of how Bess should behave, particularly as her husband was absent overseas. She had to be careful what she did, to whom she spoke, where she went. She and her mother-in-law Sarah Bass equally shared George’s naval pay, and as he was on half-pay that was not very much.

Bess remained with her father William and mother Susanna until financial difficulties in 1811 forced the family to move to smaller premises in London; Bess took lodgings close by, presumably to lessen the financial burden on her family. Her dear brother Henry died in 1812, her mother soon after and in 1822 her beloved father. Bess herself died in 1824, aged 56.

George’s letters are full of love and great expectations. The Venus arrived in Sydney after a number of other commercial ships had already disembarked their cargoes, resulting in a glut on the market. Despite this setback, Bass was positive of two things. One was that he would be reunited with Bess and she would travel with him forever, never to leave his side. The other was that fortune would still be his. Whether it was supplying salted pork to the colony, whaling or sealing in the Pacific, or his speculative venture to South America, he was convinced he would succeed.

After 35 pages of biographical notes and background the letters commence – on the right hand page only. Explanatory notes are placed on the left-hand page – a practical way of conveying the extra information but better use could have been made of the somewhat blank pages – more detailed notes for example. There are some images but not enough and they are too small. They are placed between pages 8 and 9 and would have been better spread through the book. There are no facsimile copies of either George or Elizabeth’s letters, only transcriptions. One or two examples would help connect the reader to the writers .

All in all, though, this book presents the human faces of our early Australian maritime history, and what it cost them to be participants. 

Lindsey Shaw, senior curator

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 44

Eight days in April

Captain Cook was here by Maria Nugent. Publisher Cambridge University Press, Melbourne 2009. Hardcover, 164 pp, colour & BW illustrations, index. ISBN 9780521762403. RRP $39.95

THOSE WHO wish to read another book on James Cook’s skills as a commander, navigator and explorer maybe be somewhat disappointed, as there is little reference to this in Maria Nugent’s Captain Cook was here. Instead this book specifically explores the eight days and nights when two vastly different cultures met during the Endeavour’s first Australian landing at Botany Bay in April 1770, and how this interaction has been deciphered over time.

Most of the commonly read historical documentation regarding this first encounter has been dependent on the interpretation of journals and log books from Endeavour and her crew.

This book highlights the discrepancies in the various historical viewpoints. Mary Nugent’s perspective is given not only by extracting excerpts from the journals of Cook and his men but also by comparing the oral narratives of Aboriginal people, analyses from anthropologists and by reproducing sketches from the ship’s artist and subsequent art works depicting this and related encounters.

Indeed the book is claimed to bring together for the first time all the known surviving objects that were collected, and all the visual material produced, during Cook’s time on shore. It incorporates them into the history that unfolds day by day.

The encounters of Cook, his men and Indigenous Australians were marked, in the words of the publisher, ‘by poise, fragility, humanity, intrigue, fear, confusion and regret’. Quoting from the author, ‘One way to try to make sense of what the local people were doing in response to the voyagers is to sequence their actions as they were described … showing how one incident has the capacity to trigger another or escalate a situation for better or worse … It presents Captain Cook in a new garb … not simply as the accomplished navigator, or the one-dimensional imperial hero, but also possessing in embryonic form an ethnographer’s bent.’ 

Captain

Ross Mattson, Endeavour replica ship manager

Page 45 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

CURRENTS

Birthday celebrations for ‘The Bat’

FIVE DAYS of celebrations marked the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s grand old Daring class destroyer, HMAS Vampire, which occurred originally on 23 June 1959. Festivities began on Friday 19 June this year with a mess dinner in the Terrace function room at the museum, overlooking Vampire in her berth at the south wharf.

Guest of honour was the Deputy Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas, who had served in Vampire as a young sailor. Proposing the toast to the ship, Rear Admiral Thomas said: ‘Vampire has

been a wonderful expression of the bond of the Navy family. ‘Vampire’s motto “Audamus”, which was intended to mean “we are daring”, reminds us that we need to be audacious to meet the future, as we have been towards the great challenges of the past.’

Vampire paid off from the RAN on 13 August 1986 after 27 years of service. She was saved from the scrap yard by a small group of former shipmates who attended the decommissioning. They formed the HMAS Vampire Association with former gunners Bob Goode as president, Geoff Lewsam as secretary and John Mobbs as treasurer.

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:

Ex-HMAS Vampire COs and friends at the birthday seminar, from left: RADM Tony Horton AO RAN (Rtd) 1976–7; CAPT John Hewett RAN (Rtd) 1984–6; CMDR Mike Taylor RAN (Rtd) 1980–2; CMDR Jim Dennis RAN (Rtd) ex-electrical officer; CDRE J W L ‘Red’ Merson RAN (Rtd) 1965–6; CDRE John D Goble RAN (Rtd) 1968-1970; John Jeremy ex-CEO Cockatoo Island; CDRE Norman Lee RAN (Rtd) 1977–8; Patron of HMAS Vampire Association VADM Leach AC, CBE, LVO RAN (Rtd); CAPT Paul Martin RAN (Rtd) 1982–3. Photographer B Richards/ANMM Deputy Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas toasts Vampire. Photograph courtesy Navy News

Ceremonial sunset presided over by the RAN Band. Photograph courtesy Navy News

‘The three of us put in $50 each to pay for a mail-out to as many ex-Vampires as we knew, encouraging them to forward our letter on, much like a chain letter,’ Bob said.

On 23 June 23 1989 the new association held Vampire’s 30th birthday reunion with more than 300 ex-Vampire members attending, plus about 200 partners. This gave Bob and his team the support to convince the Federal Government of the day to put a hold on scrapping or scuttling ‘the old girl’. In 1990 ‘The Bat’ was transferred to the Australian National Maritime Museum where she has been maintained with the help of members of

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 46

the HMAS Vampire Association.

She still flies the White Ensign by special dispensation of the RAN.

‘It was good to see Vampire didn’t go to razor blades. My grandson can come and see where I worked,’ said one of the ship’s former COs (1984–86), Captain John Hewitt.

A symposium presided over by Rear Admiral Stephen Gilmore, the Royal Australian Navy’s representative on the museum’s governing council, followed the next day. There was a ceremonial sunset that the damp weather couldn’t dampen, a family day on the Sunday with tours of the ship and a luncheon cruise on the harbour. During the following week on the anniversary day a birthday luncheon was held at the museum by the HMAS Vampire Association, to celebrate the day 50 years earlier when Vampire was commissioned into the RAN. The cake cutting was performed by Bob Goode and the guest speaker, MaryLouise Williams, director of the museum.

Museum sponsors

Principal sponsors

ANZ

Australian Customs Service

State Forest of NSW

Major sponsors

Blackmores Ltd

Lloyd’s Register of Shipping

Raytheon Australia Pty Ltd

Tenix Pty Ltd

Corporate Members of the museum

The program provides corporate Members privileged entry to the museum’s unique environment for corporate hospitality.

Three membership levels each provide a range of benefits and services:

Admiral (three-year membership $10,000);

Commodore (three-year membership $5,000);

Captain (three-year membership $1,800).

Admiral Memberships

Ferris Skrzynski & Associates Pty Ltd

Commodore Memberships

Captain Memberships

Art Exhibitions Australia Ltd

Asiaworld Shipping Services Pty Ltd

Australia Japan Cable Ltd

Defence National Storage

HMAS Creswell

HMAS Kuttabul

HMAS Newcastle

HMAS Penguin Welfare Committee

HMAS Vampire Association

HMAS Watson Ships Fund

Maritime Workers Credit Union

Maritime Union of Australia (NSW Branch)

Maruschka Loupis & Associates

Penrith Returned Services League

Pivod Technologies Pty Ltd

Regimental Traust fund, Victoria Barracks

Royal Caribbean & Celebrity Cruises

Svitzer Australasia

Sydney Pilot Service Pty Ltd

ABLOY Australia

Cathay Pacific Cargo

Coral Sea Wines

CSIRO

DMS

Forrest Training

Harbourside Darling Harbour

James Squire Beer

‘K’ Line

Lloyd’s Register Asia

MCS

Maritime Union of Australia

Mediterranean Shipping Company

Mercantile Mutual Holdings

Novotel Rockford

Philips Electronics Australia

SBS

Scandinavian Airlines

Shell Companies in Australia

Specific Freight

Sydney by Sail

Visions of Australia – Commonwealth Govt

Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation

Founding patrons

Alcatel Australia

ANL Limited

Ansett Airfreight

Bovis Lend Lease

BP Australia

Bruce & Joy Reid Foundation

Doyle’s Seafood Restaurant

Howard Smith Limited

James Hardie Industries

PG, TG & MG Kailis

National Australia Bank

P&O Nedlloyd

Telstra

Westpac Banking Corporation

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics

Zim Shipping Australasia

Page 47 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

ABOVE: HMAS Vampire Association 50th anniversary luncheon. Photographer J Mellefont/ANMM

From the director

Mary-Louise Williams

OUR CELEBRATIONS for the 50th anniversary of commissioning of the museum’s Daring class destroyer HMAS Vampire – 23 June 1959 – were a great success. They started with a formal dinner hosted by the museum’s chairman Peter Sinclair and the Royal Australian Navy representative on our council, Rear Admiral Stephen Gilmore – promoted recently from Commodore, so congratulations to Stephen. Deputy Chief of Navy RADM Davyd Thomas was the special guest speaker.

The following day we held a one-day symposium with presentations by a host of the ship’s former commanding officers – see the photograph of them on page 46. It was very

The spirit of the ship lives on through the dedicated band of supporters and volunteers

special to bring these distinguished naval men together for the occasion, along with all the other ex-Vampire personnel who joined us that weekend. That big grey warship at our wharves is far more than just a museum piece (although it’s the biggest museum object in the land!) The spirit of the ship lives on through the dedicated band of supporters and volunteers, many of whom are active in the HMAS Vampire Association. They help us to interpret the ship and what it meant to the people who lived and worked on board. This is something that our visitors enjoy very much, going by the many messages of appreciation that they leave after a guided tour of the ship.

In a similar vein we worked with the RAN during that same weekend to commemorate the sad death of Able Seaman Christopher Passlow who died in an accident on board the museum’s Oberon class submarine HMAS Onlsow back in March 1981. His family were presented with a memorial and a plaque was placed on board Onslow. Once again, it’s these links with real people past and present that make a vessel something much more than a static display.

AS YOU’LL SEE elsewhere in this issue of Signals, great new things are happening at our waterside Yots café this spring, inspired by the newly-built performance platform – a handsome, large area of decking that we have constructed over a portion of our main vessel basin. It’s been planned to give us new options for a range of visitor programs and activities, and it’s already been trialled successfully as an outdoor cinema and concert band performance platform. We know it will be of great benefit in many future outdoor events.

Our main exhibition space Gallery One will be closed for maintenance following the departure of the popular exhibition Charles Darwin – Voyages and ideas that shook the world This will be to prepare for the huge Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids which will open in December, a wonderful show coming to us from the American Museum of Natural History just in time to be our special summer attraction. Speaking of maintenance some of you may have noticed the big signal mast at the front of the museum was taken down in August for some repairs to some of its timber spars. This 40.5 metre-high (132’ 9”) signal mast was erected in 1912 at the Royal Australian Navy’s Garden Island Dockyard, in Sydney. Pennants flown from its cross yard and gaff signalled messages to all naval vessels in the harbour. It was relocated to the museum in 1991, when we opened to the public. It will be re-erected slightly closer to the museum building in late September, part of a longer-term plan we are working on to construct more new facilities on our site. 

Publicity for our cheeky exhibition Exposed! The story of swimwear went right around the world – turning up in New York, India, Spain, Germany, Turkey and even China – after this media call featuring models Jacqui Buchanan, clad in a replica of the voluminous late-19th-century style of bathing costume, and Vanya Tuarau in a contemporary one-piece by Jets. Agence France Presse photograph

SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009 Page 48

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Members $27 Monogrammed ANMM leather document satchel $99.95 SPECIAL OFFER Members $60.00 Page 49 SIGNALS 88 September–November 2009

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Darling Harbour, Sydney NSW Australia

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ANMM council

Chairman

Mr Peter Sinclair am csc

Director

Ms Mary-Louise Williams

Councillors

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Mr Peter Harvie

Ms Robyn Holt

Dr Julia Horne

Emeritus Professor John Penrose

Mr John Rothwell ao

Mr Neville Stevens ao

Signals ISSN 1033-4688

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Jeremy Austen and Jo Kaupe, Austen Kaupe

Alison Murphy

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The Australian National Maritime Museum is a statutory authority of the Australian Government. For more information contact us at:

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Signals, Issue 88

Signals

Signals

Contents

Contents

class

Two-footer recollections

The physics of Neverland

Revisiting Endeavour’s scrap yard

Sailing by moonlight along the coast of New Holland, the vessel struck a coral reef threatening destruction of the ship

More power

to Krait…

unknown X for

SIEV X remembered

Message to Members

From Members manager Adrian Adam

Events for Members

How to book

Cancellations

Parking near museum

Lectures & talks

Events for Members

Tours & walks

BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES

On the water

For kids

Special events

EMAIL BULLETINS

What’s on at the museum

Free school holiday activities

During

Spring 2009 program

Special events

Spring 2009 exhibitions

In our galleries

On the water

ANMM travelling exhibitions

For schools

Splash!

The extraordinary life of

Suzy Wong

Trucks and ships crossing Bass Strait took Suzy Wong the

had ever been from her native Hong Kong

Signals in online archive

Ways of watching weather

Australians regain sail speed record

Cultural adjustments

OFF-WATCH READING

See you later, my love

Eight days in April

CURRENTS

Birthday celebrations for ‘The Bat’

Museum sponsors

Corporate Members of the museum

From the director

The