Australian Sea Heritage online
ASHonline – published by the Sydney Maritime Museum; home of Sydney Heritage Fleet
About the Museum
The Sydney Maritime Museum, home of the Sydney Heritage Fleet, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015.
Founded by a group of young steam enthusiasts to save for the nation the classic Edwardian steam yacht Lady Hopetoun, built in Sydney in 1902, the Museum has grown over the five decades of its history and now has in its collection one of the oldest fleets of fully operational vessels in the world.
Five of those vessels are more than 100 years old, all fully restored, fully operational and in regular use.
Another unique feature of the Museum is that the Fleet relies on some 450 volunteers for the restoration, maintenance, operation and display of its collection. The Fleet’s volunteers regularly clock-up over 100,000 hours of voluntary work each year.
As well as its larger operational vessels, the Fleet maintains a significant Maritime Records and Research Centre, has a major collection of Sydney Harbour small craft, and arranges youth development projects as well as a variety of specialist maritime-related training courses.
The Museum receives no direct government funding, but relies on its own operations, gifts in kind and the support of donors and sponsors, as well as a major benefactor, for financial support.
A not-for-profit organisation, the Museum has deductible gift recipient status which, translated, means that donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Australian Sea Heritage online 