Summary

The Australian National Maritime Museum's (ANMM) role is to interpret, preserve and promote Australia's maritime heritage and culture. It fulfils this by carrying out research, acquisitions, managing its collections and heritage vessels and providing access through public programs and exhibitions.

Abolition

Creation

The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) is a federally operated maritime museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. In 1975 the Pigott Committee of Inquiry on Museums and National Collections recommended the establishment of a national maritime museum, and in 1983 a Government study advised that it should be located in Sydney. The New South Wales Premier and the Commonwealth Minister for the Arts, Heritage and Environment announced in 1984 that a maritime museum would be built by the Commonwealth on land provided by the State at Darling Harbour, tied into the New South Wales state government's redevelopment of the area for the Australian bicentenary in 1988.

The museum building was designed by Philip Cox, and although an opening date of 1988 was initially set, construction delays, cost overruns, and disagreements between the state and federal governments over funding responsibility pushed the opening to 1991. The Museum site and building was handed over by the New South Wales Government on 2 October 1990; and opened to the public on 30 November 1991.

One of six museums directly operated by the federal government, the ANMM is the only one located outside of the Australian Capital Territory. The museum is structured around seven main galleries, focusing on the relationships between Indigenous Australians and the sea, the navigation of Australian waters, travel to Australia by sea and the naval defence of the nation. Four additional gallery spaces are used for temporary exhibits. Four museum ships – the HM Bark Endeavour Replica, the destroyer HMAS Vampire, the submarine HMAS Onslow and a replica of the Duyfken – are open to the public, while smaller historical vessels berthed outside can be viewed but not boarded.

Functions and activities

The purpose of the Australian National Maritime Museum is to inform, challenge and nurture conversations about the nation of Australia shaped by sea. The ANMM develop, preserve and present their collection, research and expertise to connect visitors and their own experiences to stories as old as the continent itself – and yet vital to all our futures.

The functions and powers of the museum are specified in Sections 6 and 7 of the Australian National Maritime Museum Act 1990.

Section 6 of the Act states that the functions of the museum are:

• to exhibit, or make available for exhibition by others, in Australia or elsewhere, material included in the National Maritime Collection or maritime historical material that is otherwise in the possession of the museum
• to cooperate with other institutions (whether public or private) in exhibiting, or in making available for exhibition, such material
• to develop, preserve and maintain the National Maritime Collection
• to disseminate information relating to Australian maritime history and information relating to the museum and its functions
• to conduct, arrange for and assist research into matters relating to Australian maritime history
• to develop sponsorship, marketing and other commercial activities relating to the museum’s functions.

Section 7 of the Act provides that the museum has power to do all things necessary or convenient to be done for or in connection with the performance of its functions.

The museum may exercise its powers either alone or jointly with another person or other persons.

Legislation administered

The Australian National Maritime Museum is a statutory authority within the Arts Portfolio. The museum guides the delivery of its outputs through its corporate governance framework. This framework comprises the museum’s enabling legislation, the Australian National Maritime Museum Act 1990 (the ANMM Act), and other legislative instruments, managerial and organisational structures, corporate policies and strategies, and resource management practices. Its enabling legislation established a governing council.

The Australian National Maritime Museum Regulations 2018 (the Regulations) were made on 14 September 2018. The Act and Regulations were amended in May 2021 with the introduction of the National Collecting Institutions Legislation Amendment Act 2021 to provide broader investment opportunities for donated revenue and to streamline administration.

The primary piece of Commonwealth resource management legislation governing the museum is the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act). This Act establishes the guidelines of governance and accountability for public resources, with an emphasis on planning, performance and reporting. It requires the museum’s Council, as the accountable authority of the museum, to prepare and give an annual report on the museum’s activities for the period to the museum’s responsible minister, for presentation to the Australian Parliament. The museum’s annual report must comply with the requirements of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (the PGPA Rule).

Administrative structure

The Public Service Act 1999 covers the powers of the Director of the museum in relation to the management of human resources. The minister responsible for the Australian National Maritime Museum (as of 2024) was the Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for the Arts. A Council, comprising a chairperson, director and no more than ten other members, was established by the Act to ensure proper and efficient performance of the functions of the Museum. 

The Council of the Australian National Maritime Museum (the Council) is responsible for the overall performance of the organisation and ensures the proper and efficient performance of its functions. At 30 June 2024 the Council comprised ten members, including the Chair, the museum’s Director and an officer of the Royal Australian Navy.

Council members, other than the Director and the Naval member, are appointed by the Governor-General for a set term of up to three years, and can be appointed for up to three terms, not exceeding nine years. Appointment of members is based on knowledge or experience.

As the accountable authority, the Council oversees and endorses the strategic planning and performance framework, and monitors progress through regular reports on performance against the endorsed four-year corporate plan.

All members of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s Council, except the Director, are non-executive members.

Historical agency address

The Australian National Maritime Museum is located at Darling Harbour, Sydney, NSW with their head office being located at Wharf 7 Heritage Centre, Pyrmont, NSW.

State/regional structure

Records created by the agency

Additional information

End notes

Sources

About | Australian National Maritime Museum

Reports, policies and plans | Australian National Maritime Museum

Australian National Maritime Museum | Directory

Australian National Maritime Museum - Wikipedia