Museum plans iced: government sinks hopes of rescuing our beloved Orange Roughy

A push to save Australia’s long-serving Antarctic icebreaker appear to have failed, with the Morrison government rejecting a last minute intervention.

The icebreaker RSV Aurora Australis, known as the Orange Roughy, was retired in March after more than 30 years of active service.

A push to save Australia’s long-serving Antarctic icebreaker and turn it into the nation’s first Antarctic exploration museum appears to have failed, with the Morrison government rejecting a plea for last-­minute intervention.

The Australian understands the RSV Aurora Australis is days away from being sold, either to ­Argentina for its Antarctic program, or for scrap.

A recently formed Aurora Australis Foundation has been attempting to raise $US1m ($1.44m) to purchase the 30-year-old ship for use as a museum and tourist ­attraction, based in Hobart.

Foundation chair and former Australian Antarctic Division chief scientist Michael Stoddart told The Australian the only chance to save the ship was for the federal government to back its purchase by the Australian ­National Maritime Museum.

“It really is a matter for the ANMM to take it on and have it as part of their asset base, kept here in Hobart,” Dr Stoddart said. “They are very interested in the ship but … unless and until government through the minister says ‘go and have a look at the ship from a heritage point of view and here is some cash to do it’, their hands are tied.

“It comes down to the federal government, which runs the ANMM in (Sydney’s) Darling Harbour and the Arts Minister Paul Fletcher.”

However, Mr Fletcher denied the museum was interested and appeared to reject any federal intervention to keep the much-loved ship in Australia.

“Acquisition decisions are a matter for the council and senior management of the Australian National Maritime Museum,” Mr Fletcher’s spokesman told The Australian. “The minister has been advised the museum has no plans to acquire the Aurora Australis.”

The ship’s owner, P&O Maritime, is understood to be desperate to sell it, with port fees and other costs associated with mothballing the vessel in Hobart running into many thousands of dollars a day.

P&O last month warned it was only weeks away from selling the Newcastle-built ship — which ­underpinned Australia’s Antarctic program from 1989 until March this year — for scrap, after a hopeful sale fell through.

However, it has since had further interest, and on June 26 an Argentine defence magazine, Revista Defensa y Seguridad, suggested the Argentinian government was looking to buy the vessel for its Antarctic program for $2m.

“P&O Maritime Logistics has been approached by a number of interested parties from around the world and discussions are ongoing,” a spokesman said.

Federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie said pleas to the Prime Minister and Mr Fletcher had “fallen on deaf ears”. “Neither (man) … understands the significant cultural heritage of the Aurora Australis or is prepared to ensure it stays in public hands in Tasmania,” Mr Wilkie said.

“This is deeply regrettable ­because the vessel … is much loved by the local community and helps define Hobart’s sense of place.

“That it is being sold to the ­Argentinians for not much more than its scrap value is very sad and a wasted opportunity.”