Whyalla Maritime Museum
Located on the Lincoln Highway near the northern entrance to the city, the Whyalla Maritime Museum is home of the former HMAS Whyalla, the first ship built in the Whyalla Shipyards in 1941. It stands high and dry, 2 kilometres from the sea and 2 metres off of the ground. Every year, thousands of visitors enjoy the unique experience of actually walking under the ship before boarding with their tour guide.
The Maritime Museum building houses a treasured collection of artefacts and memorabilia. The World War II Gallery documents the story of the four wartime corvettes built in Whyalla – HMAS Whyalla, HMAS Pirie, HMAS Kalgoorlie & HMAS Gawler.
The BHP Shipbuilding Gallery reflects Whyalla’s shipbuilding era - the shipyards were open from 1940-1978 and in that time sixty six vessels were built, including warships, carriers, tankers, ferries, container ships, barges and an oil rig.
The Natural History gallery features the Gulf’s diverse marine environment - the 1814 edition of Matthew Flinders’ journals and charts are on display, reflecting the early maritime heritage of the first European exploration of the upper Spencer Gulf.
The Singing to the Sharks exhibition explains the story of the indigenous people of Whyalla and their unique rituals connected to the sea.
Discover one of the largest H0 gauge model railways in Australia with over 400 metres of track. The model landscape features railway lines between OneSteel in Whyalla and the iron ore mines in Iron Knob, a link between Whyalla to Port Augusta, and Port Augusta to Adelaide. The trains include iron ore trains, cargo trains, grain trains, The Indian Pacific and The Ghan. The landscape reflects both the semi-arid conditions around Whyalla and green fields with rolling hills at South Australia’s grain belt in the mid-north centred around Snowtown. The model railway was constructed by members of the Whyalla Model Railway Society who continue to upgrade the track and ensure it is maintained and running smoothly for all to enjoy.
The museum complex is surrounded by a large tranquil Australian native plants garden with electric BBQ’s, a boardwalk to the Museum’s pond, and plenty of shady lawns. On display in the Museum grounds are a 19th century heritage anchor and a shipyards crane hook constructed in 1943.
Click here to find out more about everything on offer at the Whyalla Visitor Centre and Maritime Museum, as well as a host of other things to do and see during your stay in Whyalla!