Bass & Flinders Maritime Museum

11/11/2024

Well done Craig! We are proud to have you as part of our team!

07/11/2024

Tom Thumb was an 8-9 ft row boat, brought out from England on the Reliance by George Bass.

Among their many exploits, Matthew Flinders and George Bass rowed the Tom Thumb up Georges River in NSW accompanied by William Martin.

03/11/2024

We are open today - 10:00am - 4:00pm ⛵️

03/11/2024

Yes, we are open tomorrow for the Recreation Day Public Holiday.

Come explore Tasmania’s rich maritime history at the Bass and Flinders Maritime Museum - 10am - 4pm.

25/10/2024

Step aboard the replica Norfolk and go below deck into the Focsle to imagine what a challenge it was to cook a meal in the midst of a raging storm.

25/10/2024

Photography Challenge Week 4 – Mauritius

In this final week of our challenge, we reflect on a lesser-known chapter in Matthew Flinders’ life: his captivity on the Isle de France (now Mauritius). Despite being a renowned navigator, Flinders was held as a prisoner for six and a half years during the war between Britain and France. He had believed the scientific nature of his work would protect him, even during wartime, but France accused him of being a spy.

During his imprisonment, Flinders recorded his voyages, gathering valuable information for future publication. Unfortunately, his health deteriorated during captivity, and although he returned to Britain in 1810, he did not live to see the success of his acclaimed book and atlas, "A Voyage to Terra Australis."

📷 Chris Carr
📷 Kerrie Exley – Mountain Views
📷 Amanda Griffith, Trim the cat - Sculpture at Windmill Point, George Town
📷 Amanda Griffith - Trim - Mathew Flinders cat. Taken from Bass and Flinders Museum
📷 Amanda Griffiths - Low Head - Mountain/Island view
📷 Neal- During his captivity on the Isle De France (Mauritius) Matthew penned his homage to his cat Trim. He declared that Trim was "the best and most illustrious of his Race, the most affectionate of friends, faithful of servants, and best of creatures" and lamented the cat's demise at the hands of the Catophagi (cat-eaters) of the island.

22/10/2024

The Bass and Flinder's Maritime Museum is the home to a number of significant wooden sailing vessels including the replica sloop Norfolk, James Kelly's whaleboat Elizabeth, the Admiral, the Kenneth Dickenson, the Tamar Class Melanie and the sabot Zephyr2. Our collection reflects the importance of the Tamar River and the Bass Strait in Tasmania's maritime history.
Come and visit us at 8 Elizabeth Street, George Town.
We are open daily from 10am-4pm.

19/10/2024

📷 Photography Challenge - Week 4: MAURITIUS 🏝️

💭 Think.... Trim - Matthew Flinders Cat, mountains/island views, love letters, flute, music.

Submit your photos by Wednesday 23rd of October. Email your photos to: [email protected]

17/10/2024

Week 2 of the October Photo Challenge: Aboriginal Culture
💭 Bungaree - accompanied Matthew Flinders when he circumnavigated Australia. Think.... artefacts, language, bush tucker, fresh water, tracking.

Thank you to everyone who participated! We look forward to sharing the coming week's photos. Photos will also be on display in the museum, so come along and say hi.

📸 Keep snapping for next week’s theme.

📸Billie Walker Age: 7 Curries
📷 Billie Walker Age: 7 Curries
📷 Willow Tunks Age 10 River
📷 Willow Tunks Age 10 River
📷 Paityn Tunks Age: 13 Inland water
📷 Paityn Tunks Age: 13 Inland water

14/10/2024

Photography Challenge - October 2024 📷📷 It's not too late to join our October Photo Challenge!

You can participate by submitting one photo or enter every week—it’s up to you! Each week, our judges will select the top 20 photos based on a different theme.

Winners will be announced on Wednesday, 30th October at 12 noon. Prizes include a hand-knitted penguin beanie crafted by our wonderful volunteer, Patt, and a photo album for adults. For children, there are cozy Bass & Flinders Maritime Museum beanies up for grabs!

Submit your best shots and see your work featured on the Bass & Flinders Maritime Museum page. Photos will also be displayed at the Museum for everyone to enjoy.

There are two categories: Adults and Children.
Visit our website for more details.

We’re excited to invite you to our October Photo Challenge!

10/10/2024

📷 Photography Challenge - Week 3: Aboriginal Culture

💭 Bungaree - accompanied Matthew Flinders when he circumnavigated Australia. Think.... artefacts, language, bush tucker, fresh water, tracking.

Submit your photos by Wednesday 16th of October. Email your photos to: [email protected]

10/10/2024

Week 2 of the October Photo Challenge: Cartography. Congratulations to this week’s winners!

This week, we celebrate Matthew Flinders, one of the world’s most renowned cartographers. Cartography, the science and art of mapmaking, requires precision, vision, and incredible attention to detail. His detailed maps of Australia, created without modern satellite technology, were remarkably accurate. In fact, naval officers have mentioned that Flinders’ charts were still in use in South Australia and the Great Barrier Reef up until the 1970s!

Flinders was not only a bold and brave explorer but also one of the greatest maritime adventurers. His career peaked with the circumnavigation and mapping of Australia—a legacy that continues to inspire navigators and explorers today.

Thank you to everyone who participated! We look forward to sharing the coming week's photos. Photos will also be on display in the museum, so come along and say hi.

📸 Keep snapping for next week’s theme.

📷 Kerrie Exley- I See
📷 Amanda Griffiths – East Beach Lookout
📷 Neal – Trim the Cat Cartographer
📷 Chris Carr
📷 Meg Blackley
📷 Meg Blackley

YOUTH
📷 Billie Walker 7yrs
📷 Paityn Tunks 13yrs – Bell Buoy on a Windy Day
📷 Billie Walker – 7yrs
📷 Paityn Tunk 13 yrs- Bell Buoy on a windy day
📷 Brock Knight 13 yrs
📷 Savannah Tetley, 10 yrs – Coastal View
📷 Savannah Tetley, 10 yrs – Coastal View
📷 Paityn Tunk 13yrs – Pebble Point

09/10/2024

Yes, we are open on Launceston Show Day (Thursday 10th of October). Come explore Tasmania’s rich maritime history at the Bass and Flinders Maritime Museum - 10am - 4pm.

03/10/2024

Photography Challenge - October 2024 📷📷 Join our October Photo Challenge!

You can participate by submitting one photo or enter every week—it’s up to you! Each week, our judges will select the top 20 photos based on a different theme.

Winners will be announced on Wednesday, 30th October at 12 noon. Prizes include a hand-knitted penguin beanie crafted by our wonderful volunteer, Patt, and a photo album for adults. For children, there are cozy Bass & Flinders Maritime Museum beanies up for grabs!

Submit your best shots and see your work featured on the Bass & Flinders Maritime Museum page. Photos will also be displayed at the Museum for everyone to enjoy.

There are two categories: Adults and Children.

Visit our website for more details.

We’re excited to invite you to our October Photo Challenge!

03/10/2024

Week 1 of the October Photo Challenge: Navigation 🧭

Congratulations to this week’s winners of the Navigation challenge! These wonderful photos capture the spirit of exploration and adventure, just like Matthew Flinders and George Bass did when they mapped Tasmania.

We’re lucky to have a copy of Flinders’ chart books at the Bass & Flinders Maritime Museum, where his legacy lives on. Did you know that when Bern Cuthbertson reenacted their voyage in our Norfolk, he used a sextant just like Flinders did?

Flinders, trained by William Bligh, who was taught by James Cook, mastered the art of navigation—an impressive lineage of expertise!

The Tamar River, with its challenging waters, is still navigated under the guidance of skilled pilots, just as Flinders once did.

Thank you to everyone who participated! We look forward to sharing the coming week's photos. Photos will also be on display in the museum, so come along and say hi

📸 Keep snapping for next week’s theme - CARTOGRAPHY

📸 Bronwyn Laurence – Night Skies on the Tamar
📸 Kerrie Exley - Navigation
📸 Steve McGregor –Rough waters at Low Head
📸 Steve McGregor – Low tide at Low Head
📸 Steve McGregor – Navigating the Tamar

Youth Entry
📸 Paityn Tunks

02/10/2024