Last week, Frank Howarth and I joined Senator George Brandis and various representatives from Government and the Navy for a dinner and presentation on plans for a new Royal Australian Navy Pavilion for the Australian National Maritime Museum. As you can see from my photo above we had a lovely, placid Sydney evening on which to enjoy dinner on the top deck of HMAS Vampire but even more importantly it gave those present a chance to speak with advisors and public servants involved in the museum sector. Many thanks to Kevin Sumption for providing us with this opportunity.
The following description of the Pavilion project is from the ANMM website:
The Australian National Maritime Museum will build a state-of-the-art Warships (Royal Australian Navy) Pavilion to mark the centenary of World War I and commemorate 100 years of submarine and surface service by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Located adjacent to the museum’s ex-Navy destroyer HMAS Vampire, submarine HMAS Onslow and patrol boat HMAS Advance, the pavilion will provide a dynamic, immersive entry experience for visitors on the history of the RAN and its people.
Through dynamic interactive displays and immersive media, visitors will learn more about the role and loss of Australia’s first submarine AE1 in the battle for German New Guinea; the story of AE2 at Gallipoli and its incredible voyage through the Dardanelles; and the story of Australia’s first great naval battle – HMAS Sydney v SMS Emden.
These World War I engagements will be explored within the context of the RAN’s subsequent operations during WWII, Vietnam, the Cold War and present day demonstrating how the legacy from each era influenced the next phase of design and development.
The pavilion will also bring to life the human stories behind the uniforms, contrasting the experiences of naval servicemen and women over the last 100 years and highlighting the similarities.
A memorial to AE1 will also form part of the entry to the pavilion.
Award-winning architects Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp have created a striking design for the pavilion and oral history research is currently underway. Building work is expected to commence in July 2014 with the new pavilion scheduled to open in September 2015 to coincide with the anniversary of the loss of AE1.
The Warships (RAN) Pavilion is part of a broader program of events by the museum to mark the centenary of ANZAC and Australia’s involvement in World War 1. The program includes the development of a national touring exhibition, Test of War, that will explore the role of the RAN in the Great War as well as a dynamic light show on the museum’s iconic roof about the RAN over the last 100 years.