Editor Pick
Western Australia Maritime Museum
- November 12, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Red Mezz from Inverness, Scotland
Parking in and around Fremantle is pretty good for it's size, and the parking lot we chose, happily was situated next door to our first stop in our Fremantle exploration.
Though maybe not what you would expect from something as historical as a Maritime Museum, the architecture of this particular building is deeply intriguing and oddly photogenic.
There have been some beautiful photographs of the building itself by local photographers, and I was pleased to see that it is just as interesting and pleasing to the eye in person. (There is a particularly nice view and photo opportunity when it is lit up at night.) The new building (the one with the huge architectural impact) was designed on with the image in mind of a boat stranded on a sandy promontory - not an uncommon sight in the area over the year, leaving the perfect impression of what you are to see inside the building.
One of the things (oddly enough) I found most pleasing about visiting this particular museum was the area around the front door, where carved in a rather large area around the steps are thousands of names of immigrants who arrived in Western Australia over the years, and which ship they arrived on.
Even though my family all comes from Ireland, and I am actually the first of my family I am aware of to set foot in Oz - I couldn't help but browse the lists of names in hopes of seeing some possible kin.
One of the most interesting and luring bits of this museum (especially if you have arrived as a family) is the HMAS Ovens, a submarine docked just alongside the outside of the museum which is part of the tour you can take. The sheer size of the thing is really remarkable; and well worth the interesting look inside at what being inside a submarine is really like.
The tickets aren't the cheapest we encountered in Oz, but neither were they extravagantly expensive. $10au for adults and $3au for kids gets you inside the museum and a proper tour of a submarine.
I highly recommend taking a walk around the dock and museum first as there are some wonderful views and photographic opportunities, and photos are not allowed inside the museum.
Opening times are Monday to Sunday: 9.30am - 5pm.
The architecture and submarine are hardly all this unique museum has to offer. There are 6 themed galleries with in the new museum, each with its own take on the different maritime aspects which have culturally affected the history of Western Australia.
Probably best known and liked is the first, the Indian Ocean gallery - which highlights what a huge impact the Indian Ocean has had on Western Australia and her people over the years.
There are five other galleries as well ranging from 'The Canoe in Western Australia' to 'Naval Defense.' A wonderful first stop on your visit to Fremantle.
From journal Fremantle - Western Australia's Coolest Town...