As an island state, the sea is significant to all Tasmanians. This museum explores the influence of the sea on the lives of Tasmanians and the strong maritime heritage of the islands. You will find informative displays about aboriginal watercraft, early European explorers and whalers. You can learn how important sailing and steamships were for developing Tasmanian industries that exported the raw materials and products of the islands, such as apples, minerals and timber.

The historic Carnegie Building is a fitting home to the museum’s collection of ship models, artefacts, paintings and images. Discover the craft and art of shipbuilding through displays of boat builders’ tools and historic dinghies. Navigational instruments show how mariners found their way across the seas while archaeological discoveries from shipwrecks around the Tasmanian islands show how challenging, difficult and dangerous the seafarer’s life could be.