Watercolour paining depicting a dramatic 19th century whaling scene, with many small boats and a large whale tail in a rough sea.

National Maritime Collection

The Museum began collecting maritime artefacts long before it opened its doors in 1991.

The National Maritime collection now contains a rich and diverse range of over 160,000 historic artefacts.

2 museum volunteers, one male one femaile, dusting a collection object in the museum's object stores.

Due to the sheer size of our collection, only a fraction of the Australian National Maritime Museum’s objects can be on display at any one time. 

Don't let our lack of physical space get in the way of making new discoveries. You can explore a rich and diverse collection of artefacts online ranging from rocket boats to gold buttons, and discover a wealth of remarkable stories.

Explore the collection

Uncover stories of Australia's rich maritime history by diving into the online museum collection. 

A portrait of a man with long hair standing in the middle, wearing a brown coat with red ribbons. To the left there is an open door, showing boats in the background, and to the right is a globe.