Hobart City Centre, Tasmania, is home to two significant maritime museums that offer a glimpse into the region's rich maritime history. The Maritime Museum of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery both showcase the state's seafaring past and its connection to the sea.
The Maritime Museum of Tasmania is dedicated to preserving and presenting Tasmania's maritime past. It is housed in a former Victorian-era school building in Hobart's historic sector in Davey Street. The museum features an extensive collection of artifacts, images, and documents that highlight Tasmania's maritime history, including its boat-building industry, steamships, and Macquarie Harbour Penal Station. One of the most famous and significant objects in the museum's collection is a convict-built boat dyed with beer and blood.
While not exclusively a maritime museum, TMAG houses collections related to the extinct Tasmanian tiger, Antarctic exploration, convict history, and Indigenous culture. The museum recently reopened with a major refurbishment to the courtyard entrance and a new café.
Both museums are must-visit attractions for history enthusiasts and those interested in maritime culture. They provide a unique insight into Hobart's maritime past and the broader cultural, social, and economic development of Tasmania.