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The Naval Association

of Australia

NAVAL HERITAGE CENTRE - GARDEN ISLAND - CELEBRATES ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY WITH AN UNANNOUNCED VISIT BY THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT, TASMANIAN STATE PRESIDENT & National Vice President Alex McNeill.

Go to this link to view the Naval Heritage Web Site:- Click here to go to the RAN Heritage Centre Website

One year ago, the Naval Heritage Centre opened at Garden Island. On its first birthday 5 October 2006, we decided to go and have an unofficial look at how it was shaping up and what sort of arrangements are in place to look after veterans visiting, ease of access etc. Many of you will be aware that this project came about as one of the outcomes of the National Naval Conference hosted by the NAA and held in 2000 in the ex FIMA building that now houses the Heritage Centre.

We were a little surprised that no fanfare or planning had been undertaken to celebrate the 1st birthday of this tremendous facility.

We found the centre interesting and easy to get to, the ferry drops you directly at the end of GI. We were a little perplexed by the attitude of the person detailed off to receive visitors who made statements about not taking photographs when there is no signage or warning about this anywhere. Nevertheless we overcame this by advising that we were not taking photographs and continued on our way..

We found no reference to the Naval Association of Australia which has links back to the Boxer Rebellion and is the oldest Ex-Service Organisation in Australia, predating the RSL, although it was good to see one of the organisations that subsequently associated with the NAA mentioned in the displays.

The Heritage centre seemed to us not to be a museum or an interpretive centre, more like something in between the two concepts. It certainly is very well presented and laid out in a pleasing arrangement allowing easy viewing of the many fine exhibits.

Thank you to the staff in the Heritage Centre on duty on the day who went to some lengths to ensure that our visit was enjoyable.

All of the facilities are described in the website which can be accessed from the link above.

See the photos below that were taken on the Heritage Centre's First Birthday!