Thirty years ago in 1988, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser and famous sailor Kay Cottee gathered in the Shoalhaven, to officially open the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum and Gallery.
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On December 15, history repeated itself, and the two Australian icons returned to the museum to celebrate thirty years of continued success.
Kay Cottee is known for completing a non-stop circumnavigation of the globe, in a small vessel of 11.2 meters for 189 days back in 1988. To celebrate the achievement, the gallery opened a new exhibition, titled Kay Cottee, Solo: endurance and the sea.
She officially opened the exhibition on Saturday, which museum president John Ferguson said was “serendipitous”.
“It is an absolute delight to have Kay and Dawn here 30 years later to celebrate with us,” he said.
“They are two exceptional people in their own right and to have them here is very exciting and special.”
The Museum was originally built to house the Lady Denman ferry built in Huskisson in 1911, local history and the Halloran Collection of maritime and surveying instruments gifted to the museum by Mr Warren Halloran.
Mr Halloran’s nephew, James Larcombe thanked the 180 volunteers who keep the museum up and running every day.
“I feel that this museum has always focused on community so I pay tribute to all of those men and women who were part of that initial team effort that created this museum and have contributed ever since,” he said.
“But remember those brave souls, aboard the Lady Denman on her way down the coastline, the countless voluntary hours in restoration and construction standing post to greet visitors and raising funds.”
Mr Ferguson also thanked the museum’s volunteers.
“Thirty years is a huge reflection on the volunteer effort that saw this grow from a humble hole in the ground to what is know one of the most significant community institutions in the Shoalhaven,” he said.
“The museum is regarded by others in the industry as very capable and that’s achieved by good management, good vision and a huge amount of volunteer contribution.”
Madeline Crittenden
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
Madeline Crittenden is a journalist for Fairfax Media at the South Coast Register.
