Maritime Museum of Tasmania needs you!

AHOY THERE! VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Maritime Museum of Tasmania is a much-loved Tasmanian institution. But it needs help. More volunteers are needed to assist in areas such as curatorial and collection management, education and outreach programs, but most particularly as Front of House – to regularly help out on the front desk, meeting and greeting visitors and serving customers in the museum’s gift and bookshop.

Located in the Carnegie Building next to Constitution Dock, the Museum is ideally situated to tell the stories of our maritime heritage. It has been in operation for 47 years after originally being in Battery Point. It is an independent, volunteer-managed, not-for-profit organisation and relies on entry fees and shops sales for its ongoing funding. It is one of the largest volunteer museums in Tasmania.

The Museum is an active participant in the Wooden Boat Festivals, as well as getting involved with many external activities and partnering with other museums.

As with so many attractions, things were tough during the Covid-19 lockdown last year, with no income. But the Museum decided to use the closure to bring forward its first major redevelopment in over 20 years. And it has been a mighty task – stripping out three exhibition galleries, undertaking installation of new display walls and repainting, creating new storage and workspaces. Two galleries were completed at the beginning of the year and they are proving very popular. There is still have some work to do in the upstairs gallery, which is hoped to be open during the spring season. As with many organisations, some volunteers were lost during the lockdown, but many are also getting older and no longer able to devote many hours to the Museum.

The museum is open 9 to 5, seven days a week, so a roster of volunteers keeps the museum open. That means they need 30 volunteers a week, just for the Front of House, working morning or afternoon shifts. But by all accounts, it is a great place for volunteering with full training provided. You don’t have to be a boatie, you don’t need to have been in the navy or been a boatbuilder, just have an interest in maritime history and a willingness to support the Museum.

If this sounds exciting and floats your boat (ha!), then call the Museum on 6234 1427 or email Beth at: office@maritimetas.org

Images: Maritime Museum of Tasmania