Donate
The Australian National Maritime Museum Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Australian National Maritime Museum.
The Foundation aims to ensure that the museum is a place for everyone to enjoy, share and learn about the stories that are significant to our past and that will influence our future.
We help the museum to achieve its priorities, especially around building and preserving the National Maritime Collection, telling stories about our migration history, furthering our understanding through maritime archaeology and highlighting the importance of Indigenous connections to our seas, rivers and waterways.
The Foundation is overseen by a board of directors, chaired by Mr Daniel Janes. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.
Unearthed after 200 years - help us bring it back to life
Be part of a once-in-a-lifetime effort to reconstruct Australia’s oldest known colonial-built vessel.
Buried beneath Sydney for over two centuries, this remarkable boat was rediscovered in 2018 during excavation for the new Barangaroo Metro Station. Offering unprecedented insight into early life in the colony, it is one of the most significant maritime archaeological finds in Australia this century. Now, 300 carefully preserved timber pieces await reassembly at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
We Need Your Support
This pioneering project marks Australia’s first full reconstruction of a colonial-era vessel – and we need your help.
Your tax-deductible donation will directly support the research, exhibitions, and education programs that will bring its story to life for generations to come.
Every donation, big or small, helps bring these important stories to life. Your tax-deductible gift directly supports the delivery of these programs, helping us preserve Australia’s rich history and share it in meaningful and memorable ways with people of all ages. Together we can keep these stories alive - please give generously.
Different ways to donate
Australia's National Monument to Migration
You can honour a migrant – a loved one, a member of your family, yourself, or a new arrival – on Australia’s National Monument to Migration at the Australian National Maritime Museum.
A donation is a fitting way to honour loved ones who have migrated to Australia and to ensure their personal stories are held in this important national collection.
You can make a difference
The Australian National Maritime Museum Foundation
The foundation raises funds to support the acquisition of objects for the National Maritime Collection, to maintain the fleet of vessels and to enhance programs and activities. The stories of some of the objects acquired with support from the Foundation can be found here.
History of the foundation
The Australian National Maritime Museum Foundation was established in 2002, following a generous donation of plans, photographs and tools from the famed Halvorsen boatbuilding family.
