CONTENTS

National Naval Museum

Refer "A Review of the Museums and Historical Collections of the Royal Australian Navy - 1997".

This was the first published overall general survey concerning historic holdings of the RAN. Its conclusions support the 'in principle' decision of the Navy League's Victoria Division and Federal Council that a National Naval Museum should be established.
The report suggests that a National Naval Museum be multi-campus embracing existing naval museums around Australia, with Sydney as the centre, this latter centralist proposal is not supported by other States in view of the National Maritime Museum's 'Sydney-centric' attitude.
The multi campus suggestion is supported but without the qualification that one State would have an advantage over other States. Sydney enjoys two major maritime museums, one established by, and receiving ongoing substantial public funding from the Federal Government, the other a local State museum.
The Australian public expects thatits onsiderable Naval heritage accumulated on Spectacle Island will be carefully displayed and distributed to other State ;locations.

Australia's Naval & M<aritime museums are now centred in Sydney, largely with Federal Government support although the HMAS Naval Heritage museum is an exception and is now being supported by the Naval Heritage Collection in Sydney.

Victoria, was the Australian Navy's birthplace from 1856 when HMVCS Victoria arrived to the forming of the foundation fleet on 1st Matrch 1901 and Williamstown naval Depot being the centre of Naval training up until 1921 when Flinders Naval Depot was built. It was Victoria that ensured the foundation fleet was supported in the first decade of federation and where Navy Office was located up until 1959.

This history cannot be overlooked when deciding where to locate and support Naval museums, for Victoria was the base form which it began.