 | Highlights of the Maritime Weekend include: Friday March 18 ■Fishy Tales – “We oughta burn it” – 7pm Saturday March 19 ■ Blessing of the Fleet – 1pm ■ Couta Boat Regatta and Memorial Sail Past – 2pm ■ Maritime Museum Discovery Day – 11am-4pm ■ Benitos Treasure Hunt – 2.15pm Sunday March 20 ■ Point Lonsdale Lighthouse tours – 9.30am – 1p ■ Screening of movie ‘Melbourne Down Under’ – 1pm ■ Race the Ferry – 3.30pm |
It is 30 years since the last lifeboat Queenscliffe was pushed through the front windows of the Maritime Museum, with only centimetres to spare, to take up its position as one of the facility’s most important exhibits.
The Museum itself opened its doors to the public for the first time in November 1986.
This month’s Queenscliff Maritime Weekend will pay homage to the role of our lifeboat men. The poster advertising the event is taken from an original illustrated certificate that was issued to the crew.
“Marten Syme is one of our Fishy Tales speakers and is author of the book, Lifeboats of Victoria. He was part of the reconstruction project for the lifeboat Port Fairy, Australia’s oldest built boat and Port Fairy’s rowing lifeboat, which still sails on special occasions,” said the Museum’s Meryl Hodgson.
“We oughta burn it" is the title of his talk and the attitude they very much met with their project.
“I guess both the Queenscliff and Port Fairy communities went through the demise of their lifeboats and the question of what do we do now with the boats. End came up with a solution to preserve this heritage,” Ms Hodgson said.
The Maritime Weekend, from March 18-20, will again feature the Blessing of the Fleet – a tradition dating back to 1935 - and the Couta Boat Regatta.
A reunion of surviving lifeboat men is also on the cards.
“As part of our focus on lifeboats and thirty years of the Maritime Museum, we are also inviting those men who served with the Queenscliff Lifeboat service to get together at the museum, to chat about their time on the lifeboat and to do a photo shoot,” said Ms Hodgson.
The Queenscliffe was built in Adelaide and commenced service here in 1926. She was taken out of service in 1976 by the Marine Board of Victoria. The vessel is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.
During her 50 years of service the Queenscliffe attended many calls including the search for prime minister Harold Holt and the rescue of Army Commandos in 1960.
It was housed in the still existing shed on the Queenscliff pier.
For more information visit maritimequeenscliffe.org.au
The Museum itself opened its doors to the public for the first time in November 1986.
This month’s Queenscliff Maritime Weekend will pay homage to the role of our lifeboat men. The poster advertising the event is taken from an original illustrated certificate that was issued to the crew.
“Marten Syme is one of our Fishy Tales speakers and is author of the book, Lifeboats of Victoria. He was part of the reconstruction project for the lifeboat Port Fairy, Australia’s oldest built boat and Port Fairy’s rowing lifeboat, which still sails on special occasions,” said the Museum’s Meryl Hodgson.
“We oughta burn it" is the title of his talk and the attitude they very much met with their project.
“I guess both the Queenscliff and Port Fairy communities went through the demise of their lifeboats and the question of what do we do now with the boats. End came up with a solution to preserve this heritage,” Ms Hodgson said.
The Maritime Weekend, from March 18-20, will again feature the Blessing of the Fleet – a tradition dating back to 1935 - and the Couta Boat Regatta.
A reunion of surviving lifeboat men is also on the cards.
“As part of our focus on lifeboats and thirty years of the Maritime Museum, we are also inviting those men who served with the Queenscliff Lifeboat service to get together at the museum, to chat about their time on the lifeboat and to do a photo shoot,” said Ms Hodgson.
The Queenscliffe was built in Adelaide and commenced service here in 1926. She was taken out of service in 1976 by the Marine Board of Victoria. The vessel is listed on the Australian Register of Historic Vessels.
During her 50 years of service the Queenscliffe attended many calls including the search for prime minister Harold Holt and the rescue of Army Commandos in 1960.
It was housed in the still existing shed on the Queenscliff pier.
For more information visit maritimequeenscliffe.org.au
