Museum awards grants to preserve Australia's rich maritime heritage

Australian National Maritime Museum © ANNM

The Australian National Maritime Museum, on behalf of the Australian Government, is pleased to announce that it has awarded over $125,000 to support projects to promote Australia's maritime heritage. The successful recipients of the Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme will help, collect, conserve and display objects of historical significance.

The scheme provides grants of up to $15,000, internships and in-kind support from Australian National Maritime Museum experts, which includes support for staff and volunteers from regional and remote organisations, to learn how to develop educational and public programs that help promote Australia's maritime collections.

Maritime museums and historical societies play an important role in preserving and sharing Australia's maritime heritage and these grants will ensure important maritime objects are available now for future generations.

In 2017-18, funding was awarded to 11 organisations, in-kind support was offered to six organisations and internships were offered to seven applicants.

Museum director, Kevin Sumption, said, "As a national institution our mandate is to share Australia's maritime history with people across the country and we are proud that the Maritime Museums of Australia Support Scheme is one of the key ways in which we fulfil this charter."

Funding will support museums and historical societies to share their stories by assisting with conservation and interpretation projects including funding essential conservation works to the Ship's anchor within the Dunbar Tomb in Camperdown Cemetery (NSW) as well as conservation work to the significant oil paintings in the Maritime Museum of Tasmania Collection (TAS).

Grants will also support research projects including the development of heritage interpretation along the Lake Macquarie Foreshore (NSW), a community engagement project promoting the maritime history of Palm Island (QLD), the development of a display on the history of Port Vincent (SA), and vessel management and interpretation advice for the Tathra Surf Boat (NSW) and HMAS Townsville (QLD).

Further funds and in-kind support will also support museums and historical societies across Australia to carry out conservation work and assessments, catalogue heritage objects and develop educational material.

The scheme which offers funding to non-profit museums, historical societies and organisations is supported by the Australian Government and is administered by the Australian National Maritime Museum. The next round of funding will be open for applications in February 2018.

For more information about the Maritime Museums of Australia Scheme and a full list of grant recipients visit www.anmm.gov.au/grants

The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney is the national centre for maritime collections, exhibitions, research and archaeology. As a Commonwealth cultural institution the museum is committed to fulfilling its national mandate by developing programs and opportunities to share its expertise, collection and the national maritime story with regional communities throughout Australia.