Queenscliffe Maritime Museum
Highlights
- Explore maritime history through engaging exhibitions showcasing shipwreck artefacts and the lifeboat 'Queenscliffe'.
- Discover the stories of brave fishermen and sailors who shaped Queenscliff’s rich maritime heritage.
- Experience the old diving equipment and try on the diving bell helmet for a hands-on adventure.
- Join a guided tour of Point Lonsdale Lighthouse to uncover the secrets of coastal navigation.
Sea, sand and sail are the key to Queenscliff’s history. Visit Queenscliffe Maritime Museum to discover the treasures of its rich maritime heritage, shaped by its proximity to the entrance of Port Phillip and its notorious ‘rip’.
From sea pilots to sailors, fishermen to boat builders, light keepers or ferry captains, the sea has created a world full of stories of boats and maritime industry.
Highlighted is the lifeboat ‘Queenscliffe’ which operated for fifty years rescuing people and ships. Manned by the light keepers and volunteers, including many fishermen, this was the last of the lifeboat service which operated for 120 years.
Shipwrecks are numerous in the area, so discover their stories and artefacts amongst the exhibitions. See the old diving equipment and try the diving bell helmet for yourself.
Lighthouses have been beacons along the coast, despite changing technologies. The museum has an extensive display of equipment and see inside a Fresnel lens at the museum and join a guided tour of Point Lonsdale Lighthouse on Sunday mornings.
With Queenscliff’s unique couta boats, its brave fishermen, and a maritime history stretching back into the early days of Victoria as a colony, there is much more to discover on a visit.
Images and Video
Accreditations
- Australian Museums and Galleries Association
- Regional Tourist/Tourism Association/Organisation
- Visitor Information Centre
Features
Tags
Actively welcomes people with access needs.
General access
- Offers multiple options for booking – web, email, phone is available.
- Companion Cards are accepted.
- Staff are trained in disability awareness.
- Advise tour guides of the access needs of guests at the time of booking (includes pick up and drop off requirements)
Communication
Welcomes and assists people who have challenges with learning, communication, understanding and behaviour. (includes people with autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, acquired brain injury (ABI), dyslexia and dementia)
- Uses Plain English / easy read signage and information (includes menus and emergency information)
Physical – Wheelchair
Caters for people who use a wheelchair.
- Step free outdoor pathways (includes picnic areas, barbecues and shelters)
- A step free main entrance to the building and/or reception area (includes ramps or slopes with a maximum gradient of 1:14, otherwise are too steep for wheelchairs)
- Doorways which are easy to open and have lever handles (doorways 850mm or wider when open and not heavy).
- An accessible public toilet which is unlocked.
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