Resurfacing our maritime stories

Port of Echuca museum curation and volunteer coordinator Suzan Dalziel explained the background behind the exhibition, which features nine panels from the Australian National Maritime Museum as well as tales from closer to home.

“The Australian Maritime Museum Council got together ... and they asked for nominations of shipwrecks from all little museums or historical societies from all around Australia,” she said.

“Sixty-eight stories were nominated ... and they chose 14 of the most compelling stories. That’s how they’ve chosen the stories on these panels.

“They’re really, really adventurous to read. One paddlesteamer story made it on, so the inland rivers are represented in this overall project; the PS Wagga Wagga.

“On a lesser scale, we have our local stories on these hanging perspex.”

Ms Dalziel welcomes the exhibition and the ongoing support from organisations like the Australian National Maritime Museum, which also provided the Submerged exhibit to the Echuca Historical Society in 2018.

“We've been working together,” she said.

“They give us a lot of support, a lot of maritime museums.

“We’re obviously a small fish in a very big pond of maritime museums around Australia.

“This is not the first time (the panels have) come to Echuca ... so they have been here before.”

Submerged is completely free, like all Port of Echuca exhibits, and is suitable for historians of all ages. The exhibition will be open for the next few months.

“It will be a really nice addition,” Ms Dalziel said.

“We want to have new things for locals to look at on a semi-regular basis.

“It is great to think that all of this can be shared by anyone, 365 days a year, 9 to 5.”

Port of Echuca Cargo Shed Museum is open every day from 9am to 5pm, including weekends, and is located at 74 Murray Esplanade, Echuca.