Victorian maritime centre
Discover the Victorian Maritime Centre History at Crib Point.
Share your maritime history! Upload photos, documents, or artifacts with a brief description (origin, date, or significance) to help preserve our shared heritage.
Tour Highlights
Explore Australia’s naval history, featuring the AE2 submarine’s historic Dardanelles breach and HMAS Australia’s fierce WWII kamikaze battles at Leyte Gulf.
Self-Guided Tours Victorian maritime centre
Experience Royal and Merchant Navy life firsthand, with expert guides available to answer all your questions along the way.
Victorian Maritime Centre MacKinnon Library
Explore over 2,000 books, rare publications, ship logs, and personal accounts preserving Australia’s naval history. Welcoming researchers, students, and enthusiasts, the library offers an active archive to uncover the human stories shaping our coastal identity.
MV Wyuna Overview
Construction: Built in Scotland in 1953 for Port Phillip Sea Pilots, this heavy-duty vessel featured diesel-electric propulsion and extended quarters to withstand Bass Strait’s weather.
Role: Served for over 30 years as a floating base at Port Phillip Bay, deploying pilots to guide ships through “The Rip.”
Transfer Process:
Approaching: Launched a workboat carrying the pilot toward the incoming ship.
Creating a Lee: The target ship positioned its hull to block swells and create calm water.
Boarding: The pilot climbed a Jacob’s rope ladder up the moving ship’s side to take navigational command.
Volunteer at the Victorian Maritime Centre
Share your passion for maritime history and help bring Victoria’s seafaring heritage to life. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds—whether you are a retired mariner, history enthusiast, or eager to learn.
Why Volunteer With Us?
Community: Connect with a warm team who share your love for history.
Exhibitions: Work hands-on with displays to shape visitor experiences.
Archival Research: Uncover forgotten stories using rare documents and photos.
Camaraderie: Enjoy a supportive atmosphere, sea stories, and a complimentary lunch after your shift.
HMAS Otama (SS 62/SSG 62)
was an Oberon-class submarine built in Scotland for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Commissioned in 1978, she was the final vessel of her class to enter service. Notably, Otama operated as a specialist submarine and one of two secret “Mystery Boats.” Equipped with advanced electronic surveillance gear, she gathered vital intelligence on the Soviet Pacific Fleet and Chinese Navy ships, while also conducting highly classified coastal operations across Asia.
The Battle to Save the Submarine
Following her December 2000 decommissioning, the Western Port Oberon Association purchased Otama in 2001 to anchor the proposed Victorian Maritime Centre. However, securing local planning permits on the Mornington Peninsula proved difficult. Blocked by administrative rejections and mounting upkeep costs, the association listed the submarine on eBay in late 2008—a viral attempt that generated international news, but no sale.
Although local authorities approved a land site near Hastings’ Western Port Marina in 2013, bureaucratic delays stalled final permits. Left anchored offshore for nearly two decades, the hull steadily decayed. Unable to bring her ashore, the preservation campaign collapsed. Otama was ultimately sold for scrap and towed to Western Australia, ending the fight to save the historic vessel.
Visit Us
- Address220 The Esplanade,
Crib Point VIC 3915 - Opening HoursSaturday & Sunday
10:00am – 3:00admin@mvwyuna.com