⚓🌊 What’s On this October? From century-old tall ships and underwater drone challenges to hands-on creative workshops, thought-provoking talks, and inspiring author events, October is packed with discoveries. 🎟️ Explore the full program and plan your visit: www.sea.museum/en/whats-on

🌙✨ Our Welcome Wall team joined the Cabramatta Moon Festival to launch the second Vietnamese panel on Australia’s National Monument to Migration. Honouring Vietnamese migration this November – join us! Registrations close 8 Oct 👉 www.sea.museum/en/support/national-monument #MigrationStories

🌊 Could humans ever live under the sea? At #SXSWSydney Senior Curator of Ocean Futures Emily Jateff brings together experts to explore the future of ocean exploration Dr Todd Bond (Deep Sea Ecologist), Dr Alexandra Schnell & Sean Wolpert https://www.sxswsydney.com/#SXSWSydney

💧 Celebrate World Rivers Day As an island nation, Australia has always been defined by its waterways from inland rivers to our vast coastline. Our collection is full of images and objects that show just how important rivers are to our maritime story. #WorldRiversDay #MaritimeHeritage

Sunday Read: Turtle cam! Ever wondered what turtles are doing when we're not watching? 🤔 This week's Sunday Watch and Read uncover the hidden world of flatback turtles in WA's Roebuck Bay! www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-20/world-first-tracking-of-flatback-turtles-in-roebuck-bay-broome/105794534

School holidays = sorted ✅ Climb aboard historic ships, get hands-on in Kids on Deck, catch the Splashing Science Circus and create a woven angelfish Plus: underwater drones, trails, workshops & more. 📅 Daily all holidays 🎟️ Free + paid activities www.sea.museum/school-holidays

❄️ Now open | Free entry Frozen Witness: Aurora’s Polar Voyages tells the story of the SY Aurora – the ship that carried Mawson & Shackleton into the frozen unknown and a pair of famous huskies 🐾 🎟 Free entry www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/exhibitions/frozen-witness-auroras-polar-voyages

⚓🌏 World Maritime Day 🌏⚓ Over 80% of global trade moves by sea. Today we’re celebrating the people who make it possible including writer, illustrator & wharfie Sam Wallman, a proud unionist whose award-winning work tells powerful stories of working people.

🌊 The ocean carries over 80% of global trade, but it also carries our stories, sustains communities and shelters countless species. As Clear as Crystal by Jason Gulley Wildlife Photographer of the Year. This image of a manatee and calf drifting through restored eelgrass.

Step into Sydney's sailing history! ⛵ Our Century-old Fleet brings a unique gathering of historic vessels to our Heritage Pontoon from 30 September to 11 October. Come see these incredible boats each over 100 years old and still sailing today. www.sea.museum/century-old-fleet

Sunday Watch: This week @drvanessapirotta.bsky.social, Honorary Research Associate at the Maritime Museum and leading wildlife scientist gave a National Press Club Address about Australia’s Scientific Future. https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2511C033S00

📸✨ Date with a Wildlife Photographer! Go “speed dating” with some of Australia’s best wildlife photographers! Join Scott Portelli, Angela Robertson-Buchanan, Charles Davis and Matty Smith in an intimate, fast-paced evening. Thursday 2 October | 6:30–8:30pm Tickets: $50 www.sea.museum/wildlife

🌊 Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 winners are in! 🇦🇺 🐋 Marcia Riederer – Fine Art winner, Dwarf Minke whale, Great Barrier Reef 🐋 Craig Parry – Human Connection winner, Humpback whale rescue, Seven Mile Beach 📸 On show from 6 November #OPY25

Not a Catalina.

⚓ Not all pirates sailed in the age of treasure maps and tall ships. This matchbook from USS Kidd (DD-661) nicknamed the “Pirate of the Pacific” collected in Sydney by Vanessa “Zena” Roberson, it’s one of many keepsakes she gathered from visiting US Navy ships. www.sea.museum/WWII-80-years

Most of us know Ken Done for his bright depictions of Sydney summers, beaches, surf and sunshine. ☀️🎨 But did you know he also painted a powerful series of 14 works about the Japanese midget submarine raid on Sydney Harbour in 1942? www.sea.museum/secret-strike

On this day in 1945, Australian POWs from the Eighth Division returned home, coming ashore at Rose Bay after years of captivity. A moment of relief, resilience and reunion. 🔗 www.sea.museum/WWII-80-years 📷 State Library of Victoria (Acc No: H98.103/4220)

☠️ Ahoy, mateys! This Talk Like a Pirate Day (Friday 19 Sept), set sail with us for a swashbuckling Speakers Talk at the Maritime Museum. 📅 Frid 19 Sept 2–3:30pm 🎟️ Book now: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/speakers-talk-talk-like-a-pirate-day-pirates-talk-tickets-1508654960599?

🐥 School pick-up... emu style Captured in the day’s final light, a male emu and his chicks stroll across dunes formed over 120,000 years ago by Australian photographer Charles Davis. 🎟 On now: www.sea.museum/wildlife

🌻 Sensory-Friendly Days🌻 Relax in a welcoming space designed for kids and adults with diverse sensory needs. 📅 Upcoming Sunday early 8.30–11.30am: 28 Sept 12 Oct 16 Nov Friday late 3.30–6.30pm: 19 Sept 10 Oct 7 Nov Plan your visit: www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/events/sensory-friendly-days

🌊 SUNDAY READ In SA’s Upper Spencer Gulf, scientists are trialling a “bubble curtain” an underwater barrier of air bubbles designed to shield eggs and hatchlings during spawning season. 👉 www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-11/algal-bloom-bubble-curtain-ready-as-asthma-advice-defended/105761978

💡 Some of the fascinating finds that land on our desks! These photos were recently sent to the museum as part of ongoing research for the Australian Register of Historic Vessels (ARHV). Learn more: https://www.sea.museum/en/collections/arhv

⚓🏉 What’s sailing got to do with rugby league? In Sydney’s working-class suburbs, sailing was the summer sport and rugby league ruled winter, so many yachties played both. One skipper of Britannia even donated this Balmain Rugby League Club blazer to our collection.

⏳ Last weekend to see The Bomb and its Aftermath. This exhibition reflects on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, a history that ended WWII, cost more than 160,000 lives and reshaped our world. Closes Sunday 14 Sept. Free entry. www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/exhibitions/the-bomb-and-its-aftermath

✨ 25 years ago, Sydney lit up for the 2000 Olympic Games and Darling Harbour was at the heart of it all. The Maritime Museum’s quayside became home to the Holland Heineken House, the Dutch team’s hub that international media dubbed “the hottest place in town, the Dutch know how to party!” 🟠

📸🎶 School holidays are around the corner! Time to get creative. Upcoming day workshops: Creative Workshop: Gel Printing Photography 1 Oct or 2 Oct | 10am–4pm Whale-Song DJ: Digital Music Workshop 7 Oct or 9 Oct | 10am–4pm Book now: www.sea.museum/creative-workshops

NOW OPEN: Torres Strait artist Brian Robinson reimagines ancestral knowledge and Islander history in Ur Wayii (Incoming Tide) – a multi-disciplinary exhibition that spans tradition and the contemporary world. www.sea.museum/incoming-tide

Halfway through #HistoryWeek2025 and plenty more to come. From shipwrecks to lighthouses and floods, our free daily talks dive into this year’s theme: Water Stories. Talks run every day until Sun 14 Sept at the Maritime Museum. Plan your visit: www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/events/history-week-2025

NEW EXHIBITION: Step into the world of Torres Strait artist Brian Robinson. Ur Wayii (Incoming Tide) opens Thursday 11 September and a special in-conversation with the artist at 3pm. Free entry. www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/exhibitions/ur-wayii-incoming-tide

🚨 Happening tomorrow! 🚨 Come to the Maritime Museum to hear the record-breaking Maclean Brothers share their epic Pacific row. 🌊 📅 Mon 8 Sept 1–2pm 👉 www.eventbrite.com.au/e/record-breaking-rowers-in-conversation-with-the-maclean-brothers-tickets-1648896928099?

💙⚓ This Father’s Day, we’re celebrating all the dads, carers and father figures who keep us steady when the seas get rough. P.S If you want to take Dad out today it's free entry at the museum for dads and 15% off at the shop. Images: ANMM Collection photos by Graeme Andrews and David Potts

🧐 Can’t find our historians and curators today (or any day this week)? Chances are… they’re at a History Week talk. ⚓📚 6–14 Sept | Free daily talks | Ships, floods, spies & more! www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/events/history-week-2025 #HistoryWeek2025 #MaritimeMuseum #WaterStories #SydneyEvents

🚤 The historic 1934 MV Krait was out on Sydney Harbour this week for a special photo shoot. Step aboard Wednesdays & Fridays, 10:30 to 12:30 and 1:30 to 3pm. ⚓ Discover one of the most remarkable stories of WWII. www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/our-fleet/krait

🌸Spring into history this September Daily talks for History Week Meet the record-breaking Maclean Brothers (14,500 km Pacific row!) Celebrate Torres Strait artist Brian Robinson with his new exhibition Ur Wayii ⚓ Plus tours, WWII programs and more www.sea.museum/en/whats-on

🚣‍♂️ The Maclean Brothers are coming! This 8 Sept 11am the brothers will row into the museum after setting a world record for the fastest unsupported row across the Pacific Ocean. www.eventbrite.com.au/e/record-breaking-rowers-in-conversation-with-the-maclean-brothers-tickets-1648896928099?

On 2 September 1945, Japan formally surrendered aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, marking the official end of World War II. www.sea.museum/WWII-80-years

💙 Celebrate Father’s Day at the museum! 💙 This Sunday 7 September, dads and carers get FREE entry with a paying visitor. Explore ships, exhibitions and kids’ activities, then enjoy a special Father’s Day lunch at Ripples Café. www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/events/fathers-day

🌼 Wattle Day Quiz! Which of these is the real black wattle? A swimsuit, a ferry, a cruise ship menu, Jon Konrad photo or Banks’ botanical engraving? 🌿 Comment your guess! Search our collection to find more wattle themed objects and images! https://collections.sea.museum/collections #WattleDay

❄️ Going with the Floe Tamara Stubbs captures a serene moment in the Weddell Sea as crabeater seals nap among the floating sea ice, nostrils just above the water. 🐾 Highly Commended, Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024 🔗 sea.museum/wildlife #WPY2024

🏄‍♀️ Friday feels… almost spring! Two surfers, salt spray in the air, and the thrill of competition at the 1965 Australian Titles. 🌊 Photographed by Jack Eden, this shot captures Hilary Nicholson and a fellow competitor riding the waves. ANMM Collection. Gift of Dawn and Jack Eden.

🪖 Remember Lord Helmet from Spaceballs? This 1942 MkII “Talker” helmet is the real-life Navy version - built so US crew could wear bulky comms gear and stay protected. It was found on HMAS Vampire (though likely never used there), adding a twist of mystery to its wartime story. #WWIIHistory

💧 History Week – Water Stories 6–14 Sept | Free talks daily From colonial-era boats to daring submarine attacks, from the romance of lighthouses to the devastation of floods – water has shaped our history in powerful ways. 🔗 Plan your visit: www.sea.museum/en/whats-on/events/history-week-2025

🐾⚓ On a scale of maritime dog… what’s your mood today? From ship’s mascots keeping sailors company on long voyages, to salty sea dogs with a nose for adventure — our collection is full of four-legged crew members. 🐕🌊 https://collections.sea.museum/search/dog #InternationalDogDay

⛵ Model Ship Monday: This 1998 scale yacht model by Captain George Crispin & daughter Rachel was used in the 2000 Coronial Inquiry into the deadly 1998 Sydney to Hobart storm. 🔎 Explore: https://collections.sea.museum/collections/129187/model-ships #ModelShipMonday #SydneyToHobart

⚓ Defence Force Veterans – join our crew! Former Chief Petty Officer Jeff Milward shares why he volunteers – all while helping move Onslow across the harbour! In partnership with Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC). Register now: www.sea.museum/defence-force-volunteers #Volunteering

🐚 Strength in Numbers Theo Bosboom captures how mussels cling together to survive the shoreline’s waves. Unsung heroes of the sea, they filter water and create habitats for countless other creatures. 🎟️ On now - the perfect weekend escape. 🔗 sea.museum/wildlife Developed by @nhm_wpy #WPY60

💦 Friday feels… like hitting the water! John Konrads, one of Australia’s swimming legends, takes a break from breaking world records to enjoy some water skiing in the early 1960s. https://collections.sea.museum/ 📸 John Konrads #FridayFeels #WaterSports #JohnKonrads

🚢 Moving a ship model that weighs as much as a small car? No problem… for our Conservation team. This 1929 1:48 scale model of the SS ORONTES has sailed from the lab to our Passengers gallery — ready to tell stories of voyages, war service and migration. #MaritimeHistory #SSOrontes #ShipModels

🦴 What do you do with your leftover lamb bones? If you were a French prisoner-of-war in 1800, you might’ve built a fully rigged 50-gun frigate, made from mutton bones and copper rivets. Made c.1800 |Object no. 00008530 #ModelShipMonday

SUNDAY READ 🐋🐬 Turns out whales and dolphins are best friends! A new study shows these marine mammals don’t just share the same waters – they actively seek each other out. https://theconversation.com/whales-and-dolphins-regularly-hang-out-with-each-other-new-study-260196 Image: L. Mazzuca.