by admin | August 9th, 2009
Anyone who has an interest in maritime history will thoroughly enjoy themselves on a visit to the Mid North Coast
Maritime Museum. Volunteers launched the museum in 1988. Since its inception, the museum has been lovingly nurtured and moulded into the extensive collection of artefacts, relics, and photos that are now on display at the three distinct locations for the exhibits that make up the museum. The Pilot Cottages Museum, located on William Street, and the Hibbard Boatshed, which is located on the riverside at the Hibbard Ferry. The original Pilot Boatshed and the MV Wentworth are both located on Clarence Street, adjoining the wharf.
The MV Wentworth is a ship that was once used as a port services vessel. From 1948 until 1992, the MV Wentworth was used almost on a non-stop basis, servicing Port Kembia, Sydney Harbor, and Botany Bay. When the idea arose to use the 59-year-old MV Wentworth as both a display and a part of the museum, it was discovered that the vessel needed extensive restoration to bring it back to its former glory. The cost of this work was covered with the aid of contributions by the people of Port Macquarie and other folks in nearby cities.
Visitors to Port Macquarie can take a guided river cruise tour on the Hastings aboard the MV Wentworth. It is not too often that one has the opportunity to be aboard a historical ship of this age. This is a lovely way to see the waterways of Port Macquarie for yourself. In fact, taking this heritage river tour before you enjoy the exhibits in the museum can help you to understand more about how the rich maritime history happened.
The three sites that make up the Mid North Coast Maritime Museum consist of displays that do a good job of telling the story of the history of shipping and the explorations of the Europeans in Port Macquarie, Hastings, and the Mid-North coast of the area. You will find that there is plenty to see here, and most of it should be of interest to all ages.
If you enjoy boats and boating, you can see antique relics that came from actual shipwrecks on exhibit here. The many scale models of ships are a very popular exhibit. There are also a collection of charts and maps used by the captains of the ships of long ago for navigation purposes. Maritime photos are well represented at the Mid Coast Maritime Museum, with a large collection of historical prints on exhibit for visitors to study at will.
There is a chance you may want to spend more than just a day at the Mid Coast Maritime Museum in order to best take in all it has to offer. You can choose your Port Macquarie accommodation so that it is as close to the museum as possible. This will enable you take your time, and immerse yourself in all of the visual history the museum is well known for. The museum is about 10 minutes from the centre of town, so plan accordingly.
The Mid Coast Maritime Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM until 3 PM. The cost of admission is $4.00 per person.
