Description of the attraction
The Shipwreck Museum is located on the grounds of the historic Port Douglas Pier at the entrance to Dickson Harbor.
The museum building was erected in 1904 when the Douglas County Council took a loan from the Queensland Government to build a new ship dock in a more convenient location in the bay. The last time the berth was used for its intended purpose was in 1958. Then it was privately owned for many years. And in 1980, the Shipwreck Museum was opened in a building that was a warehouse of the pier.
The museum building is interesting for some architectural details: for example, its roof is made of blocks of 30x15 and 20x15 cm, and the walls are sheathed not from the outside, but from the inside - this contributed to better storage of sugar packed in bags. Today, the museum building is an important element of the urban landscape, it is perfectly visible from the sea and the hills surrounding the city.
The exhibits of the museum - numerous artifacts raised from ships that sunk on the Great Barrier Reef - have been collected by Ben Cropps for 20 years. His collection includes antique dishes, bronze tools and other items.
