MHAV Committee

PWVA

Enterprize Ship Trust

Alma Doepel

WSS

Bay Steamers

Wooden Boat Association

ANARE

NLAV

Durham Association

Naval Historical Association of Victoria

Wooden Boat Festival
Wooden Boat Festival MHAV supports the Melbourne Wooden Boat Festival, Victoria Harbour, Docklands, on 19-21 February 2010.
The program includes on water and on piazza displays - Quick and Dirty competition, model sailing and racing boats, marine trade displays, strolling shanty musicians, in harbour sailing, working boats displays, boat maintenance master classes and a Shipwright Conference. Click here for more ...


Maritime Victoria
From canoes to clippers to container ships, the sea has moulded the lives of Victorians – carrying gold, wool, wheat and coal, transporting immigrants, providing food and work, and creating prosperity. image

The MHAV represents over thirty organisations and hundreds of individual members focused upon -
  • Vessels: promoting the preservation of historic vessels
  • Awareness: expanding the awareness of maritime heritage
  • Collections: supporting document, image and artefact collections
  • Experiences: celebrating livelihoods, social contexts and experiences

The aim of the MHAV is to facilitate the establishment and ongoing development of a state maritime heritage centre at Williamstown


  • Victoria is the only Australian state without a major centre to preserve, explore and celebrate its vast maritime riches.

  • The ex-Port of Melbourne Authority site at Williamstown is land held in trust for the people of Victoria.

  • Since 2003, the derelict site has been transformed by community efforts into a public precinct for maritime events and visiting heritage vessels, now called Seaworks.

  • The Seaworks site has the location, history and infrastructure to be developed into a world-class 'working port' heritage centre.

  • 'Working port' centres are recognised today as international tourist drawcards, and entertainment, educational and economic drivers for their localities.

  • The MHAV calls for the development and management, by a dedicated not-for-profit organization, of a world-class Victorian maritime heritage centre in Williamstown.

See the Williamstown vision, background and site proposal for more.



Where is the Strategic Development Plan?
Since 2003, many hard-working volunteers have contributed their time, money and labour to turn this site into a maritime heritage precinct. Their efforts have included: a massive clean-up of the site after it was left derelict for decades – painting and repairing sheds, professional plumbing and rewiring – organising heritage boat festivals in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and numerous community-interest events – hosting James Craig and other historic vessels – plus continual ongoing maintenance and site improvements.

After the 2004 Heritage Boat Show, Premier Steve Bracks endorsed the idea of a maritime heritage precinct on the site and directed Parks Victoria to work with representative groups to set one up. Encouragingly, the Seaworks Board, consisting of business and community leaders, was established in 2006 to manage the planning and development of the site. MHAV supported Seaworks' 2008 Strategic Statement, and provided substantial community input to Parks Victoria and Seaworks' Strategic Development Plan, due for release in November 2008.

It is now 2010 and that Plan still has not been released. What is delaying it? Who benefits from this endless bureaucratic log-jam? Who could possibly NOT want to see a working State Maritime Heritage Centre at the Seaworks site...?


Join us!
If you support our aims, or would like to keep up with local maritime developments, please become a member of the Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria. It costs only $10 a year, but gives you regular newsletters and invitations to maritime talks and events, and will help in preserving our fascinating past for future generations.