Festival of the Bat
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Celebrating 70 years of Australia’s largest single exhibit
Step aboard HMAS Vampire (II) for a weekend celebrating 70 years of stories, service and life at sea.
Launched from Cockatoo Island in 1956, HMAS Vampire (II) has become one of Australia’s most iconic naval vessels. Known as the The Mean Machine and affectionately as The Bat, the vessel has a remarkable history connecting generations of naval personnel, families, maritime communities and visitors.
Join us for two days of tours, performances, activities, stories and experiences celebrating the people and memories that have shaped this extraordinary vessel.
Download the program
Saturday October 31
Spotlight Tours
Join one of HMAS Vampire’s knowledgeable volunteers for a series of short Spotlight Tours exploring the vessel’s stories, spaces and fascinating details. These bite-sized tours offer a chance to discover something new about the Mean Machine, from the people who know the ship and its history firsthand.
With different topics and stories to discover throughout the day, you can drop in for a quick dose of naval history, hear a great story and get to know HMAS Vampire from a new perspective.
10:30am – 12:30pm | Short 15-minute tours on board | Free | Saturday and Sunday
Life at Sea: From the Familiar to the Fantastical
From salty sailors and stormy seas to extraordinary adventures beneath the waves, the big screen comes alive with stories of life at sea.
As we celebrate 70 years of HMAS Vampire (II), settle in for three maritime classics exploring the humour, hardship, camaraderie and adventure of life aboard ship. Meet the eccentric characters of Popeye, experience the courage and resilience of a wartime crew in The Cruel Sea, and journey into the mysterious depths with Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Free | The Theatre
Moana (2016) | Saturday & Sunday | 1h 55m | PG
Set sail on an unforgettable ocean adventure with Moana, a courageous young navigator determined to save her island home. Joined by the legendary demigod Maui, she embarks on a journey across the Pacific, discovering her heritage, her strength and the true meaning of wayfinding.
The Cruel Sea | (1953) Saturday | 1.30pm 2h 6m | PG
A powerful portrait of life aboard a Royal Navy escort ship during the Second World War. As an inexperienced crew faces dangerous Atlantic convoys, relentless weather and the threat of enemy submarines, they forge bonds of friendship and resilience in the harshest conditions at sea.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) | Sunday | 1.30pm 2h 7m | PG
Dive into Jules Verne's extraordinary underwater world in this classic Disney adventure. When a series of mysterious shipwrecks leads to an encounter with the remarkable submarine Nautilus, a daring voyage begins under the command of the enigmatic Captain Nemo.
Free Mean Machine Badges
Wear your allegiance to The Bat! Pick up a free Mean Machine badge and celebrate 70 years of HMAS Vampire (II).
Available to pick up when deboarding HMAS Vampire (II) | Saturday and Sunday
HMAS Vampire Radio Operators Birthday Broadcast
Happy birthday, The Bat! Drop into the Vampire Radio Room and listen to communications between the ship and others licenced radio operators around Australia.
10am – 3pm | Free
Sunday November 1
History of the Bat in Three Acts and Three Locations
Travel through three locations and three chapters of HMAS Vampire (II)'s history in this special guided round-trip experience developed in collaboration with the Australian National Maritime Museum and Harbour Trust.
Begin aboard HMAS Vampire (II) with a short tour led by Stirling Smith, Curator of Navy exploring the vessel's design, operational service and enduring legacy.
From there, board the Harman and cruise across Sydney Harbour, tracing the maritime landscape that shaped Vampire's story with Inger Shiel, Assistant Curator. Along the way, discover the people, industries and naval heritage that connected Vampire to the harbour she called home for decades.
Arriving at Cockatoo Island, Nerida Campbell, Head of Curatorial, Research and Production at the Harbour Trust will reveal the story of Vampire's construction, from the laying of her keel in 1952 to her launch in 1956. Bringing to life the skilled workforce and shipbuilding traditions that made the island the nation's most important naval dockyard.
This unique experience offers the rare opportunity to follow The Bat's journey across the harbour, from her beginnings at Cockatoo Island to her life today as one of Australia's most significant museum vessels.
Sunday 1 November | 10am - 1pm | $10 per person
Spotlight Tours
Join one of HMAS Vampire’s knowledgeable volunteers for a series of short Spotlight Tours exploring the vessel’s stories, spaces and fascinating details. These bite-sized tours offer a chance to discover something new about the Mean Machine, from the people who know the ship and its history firsthand.
With different topics and stories to discover throughout the day, you can drop in for a quick dose of naval history, hear a great story and get to know HMAS Vampire from a new perspective.
10:30am – 12:30pm | Short 15-minute tours on board | Free | Saturday and Sunday
HMAS Vampire 70th Birthday Cake
Seventy years calls for cake, Bat-shaped cake!
2:30pm | Free | Singing Happy Birthday from the Performance Platform
Royal Australian Navy Jazz Band
Music on deck! We are delighted to be joined by the wonderful members of the Royal Australian Navy Jazz Band bringing the style and sounds to celebrate The Bat’s birthday.
1:30 – 1:50pm | 2:10pm - 2:30pm | Free
The Last of the Big Guns
To celebrate the Vampire’s birthday the Australian National Maritime Museum has produced a new 48-page book on the vessel. With more than 100 photographs, diagrams and illustrations, the book is the ultimate guide to Vampire (II)’s rich history in the Royal Australian Navy and its life as Australia’s largest single museum exhibit.
Available at the ANMM gift shop on the birthday day and beyond.
Limited Edition T-Shirts
Take a piece of The Bat home with you.
Celebrate 70 years of HMAS Vampire with a limited-edition range of T-shirts inspired by the vessel and its history.
Available exclusively from the Australian National Maritime Museum shop, the collection includes replica designs drawn from ANMM Collection items, with just 100 of each design produced. You can also pick up a HMAS Vampire tote bag to carry your maritime treasures home.
Whether you’re a longtime Vampire fan, a naval history enthusiast or simply want a souvenir from Festival of the Bat, these limited-edition pieces are made for collectors and crew alike.
