Hard at work moving Maritime Museum to world-class site

“It’s going to put Gladstone firmly on the maritime map,” Lindsay Wassell.

Lindsay Wassell at the former Gladstone Maritime Museum.

THE GLADSTONE Maritime Museum is in the middle of the massive task of relocating decades of history and artefacts to its new home at East Shores stage 1b.

President Lindsay Wassell said the museum’s former headquarters at Barney Point was now closed until they move into their fantastic new premises at East Shores.

Mr Wassell said the move was planned earlier this year, but the heaving lifting and packing was done over the past couple of weeks, meaning the museum was closed.

The Gladstone Maritime Museum is moving from its current premises, to a new modern facility at East Shores.

“So far we have got everything packed up, all of our display items were packed up professionally by Allied Pickfords,” he said.

“All of our boat display has been shifted over temporarily into our workshop and storage area to give us a bit of room to move.

“Greg Upton let us use his tilt tray and he and Ron Harding came down this week and organised and moved all of our boat displays for us.

“Without the help of Ron Harding and Greg Upton we would have been stuffed.”

The Gladstone Maritime Museum is moving from its current premises, to a new modern facility at East Shores.

The boat display included six vessels, Mr Wassell said, from a Sabot to an 18 foot caravel hull boat.

Without the help of the Gladstone Ports Corporation, Mr Wassell said the relocation would have been even more daunting.

“We have just got back from a meeting with the Ports Corp this morning,” he said.

“The Ports Corp are going to give us a huge amount of help to shift over to the new premises and we have set a date to be open to the public on the first of January.

“Both the museum and the Ports Corp want this to be a world-class facility and they are going to get an interior designer to help us with the internal fit-out.”

The Gladstone Maritime Museum is moving from its current premises, to a new modern facility at East Shores.

To ensure the new world class facility reaches its true potential, Mr Wassell said the museum would greatly appreciate volunteers and donations, of either display cabinets or money.

“It is going to be a huge job, we are looking at buying new display cabinets, so we are looking at the cost of that,” he said.

“The Ports Corp are going to get some professional help in, because we have all agreed it has got to be the best we can possibly get it.

“We looking at about $30,000 to $40,000 worth of new cabinets.”

The Gladstone Maritime Museum is moving from its current premises, to a new modern facility at East Shores.

The new premises, Mr Wassell said, was almost double the size of the old museum.

“It’s all open space and its going to be so free flowing,” he said.

“With East Shores, we’re right in the middle of it with a brand spanking new museum and it’s going to put Gladstone firmly on the maritime map.

“We want to maintain it as world class and its for the city of Gladstone, its for our community to be proud of.

“It would be really good to get some people to help fit it out and then become tour guides, to do research, to transfer a whole bunch of documented information onto computers.

“You come to us and tell us what you can do and I’m sure we can find something for you to do.”

To get involved with the Gladstone Maritime Museum, or to donate, call Mr Wassell on 0419 722 495.