Australian National Maritime Museum’s Wooden Boat Symposium Line-up Jam Packed 

The Australian National Maritime Museum have been partners with the AWBF for the Wooden Boat Symposium for several Festivals, promoting wooden boat culture and conversations. The Australian National Maritime Museum is the national centre for maritime collections, exhibitions, experiences and knowledge, custodians of historic vessels and the cultural hub for stories and heritage. We are proud to partner with Australian National Maritime Museum to bring you the Australian National Maritime Museum Wooden Boat Symposium.

The Symposium has always been a popular program activity, dating back over ten years now with punters filling the seats in the Dechaineaux Theatre, at Hunter Street.

The 2023 program will feature several world famous sailing enthusiasts, and highlight the strong maritime culture surrounding Australia as an island nation. Some of the speakers presenting include the following:

Mirjam Hilgeman – Mirjam Hilgeman grew up with sailing, spending her every spare moment sailing the canals and lakes in Friesland, The Netherlands. In 2009 she joined the Duyfken Replica Foundation as a volunteer and was given the chance to fulfil her father’s dream of sailing on a 16th century sailing vessel. she is now getting close to 14 years of service to Duyfken, having sailed more than 10.000 nautical miles. 

Tiare Tomasewski – Grand daughter of renowned Australian Yachtsman and Artist Jack Earle, Tiare will share her stories on sailing in Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races and life on the high seas.  

Matt Morris & Iefke Van Gogh – Building the Tarkine: Young couple Matt and Iefke share their story of building their traditional yet modern wooden boat from scratch. They’ll share their dreams, their hurdles faced along the way and the end goal for their stunning vessel. A story of perseverance, passion and lots of sawdust.  

Kieran Hosty –  The Barangaroo Boat: The archaeology and conservation of an early colonial vessel. In 2018 archaeologists from the Australian National Maritime Museum were asked to participate in the excavation and recovery of an early 19th century timber boat from the waters near Cockle Bay, Sydney. Hear Kieran speak of the challenges and the conservation plan for the boat.  

David Payne – Hear about the diversity of watercraft used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities around Australia. From centuries ago, to the modern versions in the 21st century. Each type was tailored to their area and show a well developed understanding of the surrounding environment and engineering required for a great vessel.  

Other speakers include Bill Wright, Kim Marsh, Peter Harris, Len Randell, Jeremy Clowes and Colin Grazules.

To see the program come to life, please visit the web page – as it is continuously updated!