A submarine, a destroyer, a replica of the Endeavour, and a serious attempt at telling the story from both sides of the shore.
Opened in 1991 on the western side of Darling Harbour, under a wave-form roof by Philip Cox, the Maritime Museum covers Australia’s relationship with the sea across seven themes — including, notably, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander connection to sea country, which is where the permanent gallery begins rather than ends.
The indoor galleries are free. The vessels are ticketed.
The fleet
HMAS Onslow, an Oberon-class submarine, is the highlight. You go down through the hatch and along the full length of it, and the sheer compression of the space — bunks between torpedo tubes, a galley the size of a wardrobe — makes the point about submarine service more effectively than any label.
HMAS Vampire, a Daring-class destroyer, the largest museum vessel in Australia, with guided tours through the engine rooms.
The HMB Endeavour replica, built in Fremantle and completed in 1994, is an accurate reconstruction of Cook’s ship. It sails periodically, so check whether it is in port.
Also a Vietnamese refugee boat, Tu Do, which carried a family to Australia in 1977; a tall ship, James Craig, moored nearby; and a lighthouse.
The galleries
Migration, navigation, the navy, surf and beach culture, and shipwrecks. The Passengers gallery on migration is the strongest — Australia’s postwar story is a migration story, and this tells it with objects and recorded testimony.
The Cook and the Pacific material is handled with more nuance than it once was, presenting the voyages alongside their consequences for the peoples encountered.
Practicalities
Free general galleries; the Big Ticket covers the vessels and any special exhibition. Under-fours free.
Allow half a day if you are boarding the ships. Ladders and hatches on the submarine are steep and it is not accessible.
Light rail to Pyrmont Bay stops outside. The Sydney Fish Market is a ten-minute walk south, which makes an obvious pairing for lunch.
More Museums
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Free, doubled in size in 2022, and holding the best collection of Aboriginal art in any state gallery.
Australian Museum
The oldest museum in Australia, with a First Nations gallery that has been substantially rethought.
Museum of Contemporary Art
An Art Deco maritime services building on the quay, full of contemporary art, free, with a rooftop café.