Queensland Maritime Museum

Visit the Queensland Maritime Museum and experience the heritage listed South Brisbane Dry Dock, historic HMAS Diamantina, Jessica Watson's Ella's pink Lady, the restoration of the pearling luger Penguin and the Museum.

The South Brisbane Dry Dock is significant as Brisbane’s largest surviving 19th century industrial site. It is a rare Australian example of an intact riverside dry dock, illustrating contemporary engineering and technology. The dry dock is an important example of the work of engineer William Nisbet in Queensland, and is significant for its association with the contractors J & A Overend and the caisson manufacturers RR Smellie & Co.

There were over 5,000 entries for maintenance and repair in the dock prior to its closure in 1973. It was a vital piece of infrastructure for the development of Queensland trade for over 90 years, attracting shipping to the state and supporting the dredging fleet that was essential for the maintenance of Queensland’s river ports. During WWII the dock was an important factor in the establishment of the United States Navy’s Submarine Base in Brisbane.  Over 50 submarines and 100 other warships were maintained and repaired in the dock.

The dry dock is also the home of HMAS Diamantina, one of two extant River Class Frigates in the world. Diamantina embarked the Commander of the Japanese 17th Army to surrender at Bougainville and the Japanese surrenders of Nauru and Ocean Island were signed on her quarterdeck.

For a 25-year period from 1900 the dry dock also served as Brisbane’s major championship swimming venue. A 100-yard world record was set in the dock in 1903 by R Cavill. In 1915 Hawaiian world champion Duke Kahanamoku (who introduced surfboard riding to Australia) drew a crowd of 2,500 people to the dock to witness him swim.

The Queensland Maritime Museum, established and started by volunteers, took possession of the dry dock in 1973.