Sydney Harbour Heritage and Sydney Heritage Fleet
Custodians of Sydney’s maritime history
Birds eye view of the Port of Sydney, 1919. National Library of Australia
Sydney Harbour’s role as a major commercial port has ended and with it has gone two centuries of maritime trade and shipping.
Now all that remains is memories . . .
And a remarkable organisation which over five decades has worked to preserve and present examples of the ships, artefacts, literature and art which tell the story of Sydney’s maritime history: Sydney Maritime Museum, home of Sydney Heritage Fleet
Now, as custodians of much of the maritime past of Sydney, securing the future of the Sydney Heritage Fleet has never been so important.
The Fleet, against all odds, has survived since 1965 in various temporary locations around Sydney Harbour. And yet, working with essentially a volunteer workforce and financed from its own activities, donations and sponsorships, the SHF has been internationally acclaimed for restoring and maintaining one of the world’s oldest, significant fleets of operational heritage vessels and associated collections.
Today, the Fleet proposes a permanent home in Berrys Bay in which to continue its now vital work enriched by the creation of an engaging new cultural tourism offering for Sydney – the Museum of Sydney Harbour.
Wharfage scheme west of Dawes Point as it will appear when completed, 1912. National Library of Australia
Useful things to know about Sydney Heritage Fleet today
Founded in 1965, to save the VIP Vice-Regal Steam Yacht Lady Hopetoun, built in 1902 in Berrys Bay and still steaming; the Fleet’s flagship.
The original company name was the Lady Hopetoun & Port Jackson Marine Steam Museum Limited. The name has changed over the years, but it is still the same company as first founded.
The current company name is Sydney Maritime Museum Ltd – home of Sydney Heritage Fleet. It is a not-for-profit registered charity.
Sydney Maritime Museum is classified as a ‘public museum’ and has ‘deductible gift recipient’ (DGR) status from the ATO; donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
The SMM Collection is held in a Trust with a majority of independent Trustees.
The Museum has a Board of nine directors, and a separate advisory board of Governors.
Fleet committees take ownership of their particular projects, and volunteer committee members work with a small staff to ensure efficient management.
The Fleet has some 1,100 members, and around 450 of them are volunteers. The volunteers regularly clock up annually100,000 hours of volunteer work.
The Fleet receives no direct Government funding, either Federal, State or local and has relied upon its own trading activities, fundraising and the generosity of its members and donors.
Into the future, Sydney Heritage Fleet will continue its operations, as now, under the umbrella of the Museum of Sydney Harbour which will manage the proposed Berrys Bay museum site.
Sydney Heritage Fleet’s James Craig
Sydney Heritage Fleet’s Lady Hopetoun and harbour launch Harman with James Craig.
Sydney Heritage Fleet volunteers
Sydney Heritage Fleet volunteers
If you have any questions please email: info@museumofsydneyharbour.org