Despite the weather, we decided on a full blown tourist day in Fremantle.
Mostly, we visited the two maritime museums. The older one, the Ship Wrecks Gallery, has relics dating back to the Dutch exploration during the 1600s. Lots of maps, with great chunks of Australia missing. The sailors, heading from Holland to Batavia (now Jakarta) must have been pretty gutsy to head off with so little information. Round the Cape of Good Hope, following the ‘Roaring Forties’, then turning north at the right time (without the ability to measure longitude) must have been tricky at best. Missing the right place to turn would land you (or you and the wreck of your boat) on the waterless WA coast.
Understanding the real estate value of a land without water, the Dutch traders were not interested in exploring the arid coastline.
The gallery itself is very old and charming.
The newer maritime museum highlights modern sailboats, most notably Australia II, which won some sort of yacht race against some other country, some time ago. They even had Bob Hawke's loud jacket.
(Historical note: OZ II beat the Americans in the America's cup. Bob Hawke, who was Prime Minister at the time, got on national TV wearing a very loud jacket and told the Australian public that any boss who sacked a worker for taking the day off was a bum. I went to work and absorbed good natured hazing for the day. I seem to remember my dear wife saying "Get naturalised, you bastard. You're embarrassing me.")
Pat and his sister Connie had a bet that whosever country lost had to stand in the main street wearing an incriminating sign.
Connie therefore sent us a photo of her standing in Washington DC with the sign saying “Go Australia II!”
The museum’s design is fantastic, looks like a wave or sails, has quote from Tim Winton inside.
The high point for me was a tour of a de-commissioned Australian diesel-electric submarine. When I went to buy two tickets, the women behind the counter looked surprised and asked Pam "Oh, are you going?" Pam said, "Yes..." They said "Oh, OK. I'm sure you'll like it." Smelling a problem, Pam asked what would occur on the tour. Discovering that lots of ladders, small spaces and motors were involved, Pam joined the ranks of women who have chosen not to have taken the tour.
I loved it, but once again discovered I'm the wrong size for the submarine service. Pam spent the extra hour at a special exhibition about French exploration and discovery of the west coast. Particular interest was the early belief that Tasmania, and New Zealand were connected to Terra Australis, as well as New Guinea.
Mostly, we visited the two maritime museums. The older one, the Ship Wrecks Gallery, has relics dating back to the Dutch exploration during the 1600s. Lots of maps, with great chunks of Australia missing. The sailors, heading from Holland to Batavia (now Jakarta) must have been pretty gutsy to head off with so little information. Round the Cape of Good Hope, following the ‘Roaring Forties’, then turning north at the right time (without the ability to measure longitude) must have been tricky at best. Missing the right place to turn would land you (or you and the wreck of your boat) on the waterless WA coast.
Understanding the real estate value of a land without water, the Dutch traders were not interested in exploring the arid coastline.
The gallery itself is very old and charming.
The newer maritime museum highlights modern sailboats, most notably Australia II, which won some sort of yacht race against some other country, some time ago. They even had Bob Hawke's loud jacket.
(Historical note: OZ II beat the Americans in the America's cup. Bob Hawke, who was Prime Minister at the time, got on national TV wearing a very loud jacket and told the Australian public that any boss who sacked a worker for taking the day off was a bum. I went to work and absorbed good natured hazing for the day. I seem to remember my dear wife saying "Get naturalised, you bastard. You're embarrassing me.")
Pat and his sister Connie had a bet that whosever country lost had to stand in the main street wearing an incriminating sign.
Connie therefore sent us a photo of her standing in Washington DC with the sign saying “Go Australia II!”
The museum’s design is fantastic, looks like a wave or sails, has quote from Tim Winton inside.
The high point for me was a tour of a de-commissioned Australian diesel-electric submarine. When I went to buy two tickets, the women behind the counter looked surprised and asked Pam "Oh, are you going?" Pam said, "Yes..." They said "Oh, OK. I'm sure you'll like it." Smelling a problem, Pam asked what would occur on the tour. Discovering that lots of ladders, small spaces and motors were involved, Pam joined the ranks of women who have chosen not to have taken the tour.
I loved it, but once again discovered I'm the wrong size for the submarine service. Pam spent the extra hour at a special exhibition about French exploration and discovery of the west coast. Particular interest was the early belief that Tasmania, and New Zealand were connected to Terra Australis, as well as New Guinea.
Never mind.
ReplyDeleteK and 15th in downtown D.C.