Sydney Cove Waterfront Museum
WARATAH
A remarkable new maritime museum in Sydney, Australia maintains four historic steamers and is reaching out to recover and restore one of the hulks of the historic squareriggers that brought Australia its people and its trade. The four steamers are the 77 ft. steam launch, LADY HOPETOUN (1902), the tugs WARATAH (1902) and WATTLE (1933) and the 168 ft. pilot ship JOHN OXLEY (1927) . The immediate objective of the hard-working people who formed the museum is to preserve and actually operate historic ships that should be saved because they believe, as a museum publication notes, that "the ideal way to capture the full flavor of old ships is not by studying plans and pictures, but by walking the decks and watching the ships in operation." The museum was conceived in 1963 when it was learned that the LADY HOPETOUN, an
elegant Edwardian steam launch built for harbor ceremonies (but subsequently used on tasks as varied as light towage jobs and busing children to school across the harbor), was to be declared surplus and scrapped. Late in 1965 the vessel was acquired for scrap value (about $1,000) and was rebuilt to operating condition by 1970, through the devoted efforts of teams of skilled volunteers. Incorporated in December 1965, when LADY HOPETOUN was acquired, the museum's ultimate objective was to bring into being a national maritime museum worthy of Australia's seafaring origins and unique heritage. Today the LADY HOPETOUN is operated on regular harbor cruises for members and guests, having passed stringent survey and the 544-ton steamer JOHN OXLEY is operated on occasional cruises. The tugs WARAT AH and WATTLE are being brought up to first-class condition as 27