From the Director's Desk
The RAN Heritage Centre recently celebrated its second birthday. Since opening tens of thousands of visitors have enjoyed and experienced the 'In Peace and War' exhibition as well as sampling the fine fare offered by the Salthorse café with magnificent Sydney Harbour as a backdrop. I have appreciated greatly all the kind remarks on the exhibition offered by Centre visitors and on this website.
As the Centre matures so too does the need to refresh the displays. By the end of 2007 new displays will be installed including; 'The Art of Navy', a display of various naval artworks produced over the last 100 years. The Centre will also rotate a number of individual items in the current displays. Many of the items have been recently restored, for example the battle ensign of HMAS PERTH I from her operations off Crete in 1941. This will be the first time that the public will see these items.
I would also like to thank ex-serving members or their families who have generously donated personal items to the Naval Heritage Collection. Although the Collection has a criteria for accepting items some recently donated items are both rare and of national significance. The Taylor/Flower family donated the DSM awarded to Able Seaman Bill Taylor for saving his gun crew during the SYDNEY/EMDEN action in 1914 and Arthur Bancroft (ex HMAS PERTH I) donated his diary and book of poems written whilst he was a POW of the Japanese. These types of items add greatly to the Collection and the heritage of Navy and the nation.
I have received many e-mails requesting information on the service history of a relative or details on a previous ship of the RAN. In both cases the information is held by the Navy History Directorate at Navy's Sea Power Centre in Canberra which can be contacted through the Navy website.
The RAN Heritage Centre and its sister, the Fleet Air Arm Museum, have become important vehicles through which the story of Australia's Navy is available to the people it serves seven days per week. I would encourage all to take the opportunity to visit both museums and spend an enjoyable day with the Navy.
Shane R. Moore, CSM
Commander, RAN
Director
