Halvorsen Centenary

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This summer marks one hundred years since Lars Halvorsen and his family of boatbuilders and sailors immigrated from Norway to Australia, initiating the love of a boating holiday to non-boating Australians.

Black and White photograph showing a large group of boat builders, managerial and administration staff employed at the Halvorsen boatyard. There is a large factory building with "Halvorsens" painted on it, in the background.

Lars Halvorsen Sons staff at the Ryde shipyard, 1954.

Photographer unidentified, ANMM Collection 00038334 Gift from Jean Cordiner

A black and white photo on yellowed paper showing a dockyard, with two boats out of the water, a sailing boat in the front and a cruiser behind it.

The Halvorsen-built yacht Peer Gynt and 47-foot motor cruiser Kalinda loaded on the Kanangoora for the American west coast,1950.

Photographer unidentified, ANMM Collection ANMS 1174 [003]–60 Gift from Trygve Halvorsen

Building our collection

In 2002, the museum received a generous donation of plans, photographs and tools from the Halvorsen boatbuilding family, allowing us to preserve and share this important peice of our history now and into the future.

From the collection

Boat building hammer used by Lars Halvorsen Sons

General arrangement plan of an auxiliary launch with sail rig

Halvorsen Boats flyer

Leather pouch belonging to Harold Halvorsen

Lars Halvorsen plan of Colin Archer type yacht

Lars Halvorsen Sons staff at the Ryde shipyard

Carl Halvorsen's ruler

Drafting curve '56' used by Halvorsen boat designers

General arrangement plan of the bridge-deck motor cruiser POLLYANNA

Account book for the Halvorsen boat building yard

Lars Halvorsen & Sons plan of a rig and deck of 23 foot Island launch

Two-person plane used by Lars Halvorsen Sons

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Australian Register of Historic Vessels

Many Halvorsen designs feature in the Australian Register of Historic Vessels, the definitive online repository for vessels with significance to Australia’s maritime history.