Queenscliffe Maritime Museum gets grant

THE Queenscliffe Maritime Museum is one of only two Victorian museums to receive a grant from the latest round of the Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme (MMAPSS).

The scheme funds projects that preserve and promote Australia’s maritime legacy

Announced in late November, the 21 successful museums and cultural organisations across Australia will share in more than $155,000, either receiving a grant and/or in-kind support for a project or funding for an internship.

The Queenscliffe Maritime Museum will use its grant for restoration works on the pilot vessel Mavis III, continuing the remediation works on one of the museum’s major exhibits as identified in its Vessel Management Plan.

Part of the museum’s Sea Pilots display, Mavis III served 26 years transferring pilots through the dangerous entrance into Port Phillip Bay.

The vessel was built in Western Australia in 1994, and the bare hulk was transported to Queenscliff where it was completely fitted out in the workshop of the Port Phillip Sea Pilots Pty Ltd at Queenscliff Harbour.

She joined the fleet of pilot launches that perform the 24-hour service transferring pilots into Bass Strait through The Rip.

The narrow channel has a reef on either side, an uneven seabed, challenging tidal conditions, and often has stormy gales, making the area one of the world’s most dangerous entrances into a port.

The Port Phillip Sea Pilots donated the Mavis III to the museum – she arrived by road in March 2020 – where she educates visitors and children about the history of the pilot service in Queenscliff as well as its significance to maintaining safe shipping in Victoria and Australia.

The Australian National Maritime Museum administers MMAPSS with support from the federal government.

Since 1995, the federal government has provided more than $2.2 million to more than 520 projects and more than 70 internships under MMAPSS.

“A shared connection with our seas and waterways is an essential part of our national story,” Australian National Maritime Museum director and chief executive Daryl Karp said.

“As an island continent, our unique identity is reflected in the wealth of vessels, artefacts and stories that make up Australia’s maritime heritage.

“This legacy extends far beyond large collections and institutions and is sustained by an extensive network of museums, organisations and community projects across Australia – including in regional and remote areas – and the dedicated people who drive and support them.

“It is through the vital efforts of this network that our national maritime heritage is shaped and preserved for future generations.”

The MMAPSS selection committee reported that the overall quality and scope of the funded projects promises a valuable contribution to the scheme’s objectives to help preserve and display objects of national and historical maritime significance.