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maritime

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Seaworks Maritime Museum

Seaworks Maritime Museum has an impressive collection of artefacts, models and bells to showcase the stories of maritime history of Melbourne. Opened in 2011, the museum has built up a significant collection of material largely through donations from the Port of Melbourne Corporation, the National Trust and many individuals. The collection continues to expand with new and improved displays being developed to tell many of the amazing stories surrounding Seaworks, Williamstown Dockyards and the Port of Melbourne. It is staffed by a number of volunteers. Exhibitions in the Maritime Museum include the First Fleet, prison hulks, Melbourne Harbour Trust and the Colonial Navy. The museum also includes an extensive library of maritime books and a collection of ship photographs. The Maritime Museum welcomes visits by school and community groups.

Williamstown VIC

0.0 km away

Gantry Plaza event space at Seaworks

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Seaworks Maritime Precinct

Located just 15 minutes from Melbourne CBD Seaworks is an ideal location for any event given its mix of indoor and outdoor space for hire utilising the enviable view of the Melbourne skyline, the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and Port Phillip Bay. The historic port in Williamstown was the original home of the colonial navel and now is home to the Seaworks Maritime Museum and a host of world-renowned artists like A Blanck Canvas, Sway and Airena. This is a place where art events and maritime history collide to create an event space that is truly breathtaking. Seaworks is also home to the quirky Pirates Tavern, the Shore Outdoor Cinema (operated by Sun Theatre Yarraville), traditional boat builders, sailmakers, historic buildings, the old Williamstown morgue and the Gellibrand Pile Light. Seaworks provides a place for recreational, educational, tourism, cultural and commercial activities. Seaworks is a not-for-profit organisation that promotes Victoria’s maritime history on a prime waterfront location in Williamstown. The site is a working deep-water port and Melbourne’s key mooring site for visiting local and international tall ships and other historic vessels.

Williamstown VIC

0.0 km away

View from Royal Yacht Club of Victoria — Image credit: Royal Yacht Club of Victoria

Sports and Recreation Facilities

Royal Yacht Club of Victoria

The Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV), originally founded as the Port Phillip Yacht Club in May 1853, is one of Australia's oldest and most prestigious yacht clubs. Located in picturesque Williamstown, the Club offers breathtaking views of the city skyline with complete waterfrontage and is rich in yachting history and tradition. Today, RYCV boasts more than 1,000 Members and over 200 yachts on the register, making it an ideal Club for sailors with all levels of experience. Sailors can enjoy reliable and steady breezes with little or no current, making it a perfect stretch of water for club sailing or state, national and international regattas. The Royals Training Centre offers a range of courses for all ages, while the Club's lively social program ensures a welcoming atmosphere for Members and guests alike. The Club's restaurant and bar offer an excellent seasonal menu, best enjoyed with stunning views from the deck or lawn. RYCV is a hub for maritime enthusiasts and a beloved part of the local community.

Williamstown VIC

0.1 km away

HMAS Castlemaine Museum Ship at Gem Pier Williamstown 2016

Historical Sites and Heritage Locations

HMAS Castlemaine Museum Ship

HMAS Castlemaine is one of the sixty Australian-built Bathurst Class corvettes to serve throughout World War II, and is the last such vessel still afloat, having been restored by volunteers over five decades. She was built by the Melbourne Harbour Trust at Williamstown Naval Dockyard and launched in 1941 by Mrs R G Menzies, wife of the Prime Minister and celebrated the 80th anniversary of commissioning in 2022. Now berthed at Gem Pier in the heart of Williamstown's historic Nelson Place precinct, HMAS Castlemaine is open to the public on weekends, public holidays and by arrangement. Visitors can visit all parts of the ship and see how crews lived and worked during the war years, witness the original main engines turning over and view a wide range of artefacts documenting Australian maritime history. A visit to the ship is an interactive hands on experience for all the family. They prefer to receive payments by card if possible.

Williamstown VIC

0.2 km away

Williamstown Botanic Gardens Avenue of Palms — Image credit: Hobsons Bay City Council

Parks and Gardens

Williamstown Botanic Gardens

Nestled by the sea, complete with rare and significant trees, a formal palm avenue and a charming Edwardian ornamental pond amongst its many attractions, the Williamstown Botanic Gardens, opened in 1860, provides a peaceful setting in which to enjoy a picnic, take a stroll along the intricate pathways or just relax and daydream on the cool green lawns. An easy 10-minute walk from the ferry service in Commonwealth Reserve and just a few minutes from the Williamstown Beach Railway Station, the gardens have good accessibility with firm gravel paths and facilities nearby. Williamstown Botanic Gardens were one of Victoria's first public gardens. In a newly developing colony, botanic gardens were established as a way of assessing how well familiar plants would grow, as a place for reliving the English landscape and as a place for social outings and walks. Today the gardens are a place to enjoy the peace and beauty of a mature formal garden and learn about it's horticultural heritage. The Northern section includes formal garden beds, lawns and an ornamental pond. The Southern section includes Parker Reserve Pinetum, a collection of Pines trees, and a popular shady place for picnics. The gardens are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register as significant for their historical, aesthetic, scientific (horticultural) and social significance to the state of Victoria.

Williamstown VIC

0.9 km away

Riding along the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail in Williamstown — Image credit: Hobsons Bay City Council

Natural Attractions

Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail

Discover the extraordinary beauty and captivating history of the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail, a 23 kilometre journey that stretches from the vicinity of the Westgate Bridge to Skeleton Creek. The Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail offers a well-defined and easily navigable path for avid walkers and enthusiastic cyclists. The trail embraces the Port Phillip Bay coastline, revealing stretches of pristine sandy beaches that invite you to stroll along the shoreline. Then immerse yourself in the untouched beauty of wetlands along the trail, serving as vital habitats for a diverse range of wildlife. These wetlands are internationally recognised for their ecological significance, providing a sanctuary for numerous species of birds and other creatures. Throughout your journey, you'll find the trail thoughtfully marked with distinctive trail markers with charming nautical motifs. These markers guide your way and provide intriguing snippets of local information, enriching your understanding of the area's history, culture, and environment. Discover the narrative of the coast as you follow these markers, forging a deeper connection to the local sense of place and community.

Williamstown VIC

1.0 km away

Williamstown Beach — Image credit: Hobsons Bay City Council

Natural Attractions

Williamstown Beach

Located on the Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail and just a short drive or train ride from Melbourne, Williamstown Beach is one of Melbourne’s finer seaside locations. With gorgeous views across Port Phillip Bay, a clean and wide sandy beach and lifeguards on patrol during the summer months, Williamstown has become a destination for both visitors and locals alike. The beach is a popular destination for paddle boarding and snorkeling around the corner at "the Crystals". Williamstown Beach offers a full range of amenities, including toilet and shower facilities, dining establishments, sealed paths, lovely green parks and sporting grounds opposite the beach. Fishing is available from the Eastern Pier or the rocky outcrops at either end of the beach, providing access to deep water. There is a boat ramp nearby, as well as the Williamstown and Newport Anglers’ Jetties. During the summer months, beach wheelchairs and beach walking frames are available for free hire on weekends between 12 noon and 5pm. The beach wheelchairs and walking frames are ideal for people of all ages who have mobility limitations and would like to enjoy the sun and sand. For more information on how to make a booking for a beach wheelchair or beach walking frame, visit Council’s Accessible Beach page on the Hobsons Bay City Council website.

Williamstown VIC

1.2 km away

Jawbone Marine Sanctuary

National Parks and Reserves

Jawbone Marine Sanctuary

Jawbone Marine Sanctuary, named after its shape, is located in Williamstown and protects 30ha of coastal waters. The little promontory, west of the beach at Williamstown, has been fenced off from the rest of the world for over 80 years by a coastal rifle range. This forgotten and unspoilt place is now considered a haven for coastal and marine life. Patches of all marine habitats from northern Port Phillip Bay are packed into this small area. On the west of the promontory, there is saltmarsh and the largest occurrence of mangroves within Port Phillip Bay. Offshore there are areas of fine clayey sand and patches of seagrass. The eastern side has a complete set of rocky environments. There are areas high up on the shore that only occasionally get wet from storm waves and submerged boulders and ledges that lie below the lowest tides. Conditions can change in parks for many reasons. For the latest information on changes to local conditions, please visit the relevant park page on the Parks Victoria website. Be bushfire ready in the great outdoors. Refer to the Bushfire Safety section on the Parks Victoria website for tips on how to stay safe.

Williamstown VIC

1.9 km away

Locomotive X 36, built at Newport in 1929. Its retirement in 1960 led to the founding of our museum. — Image credit: ARHS(Vic)

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Newport Railway Museum

Newport Railway Museum is a must-see for rail enthusiasts of all ages, and a favourite of families looking for an interesting, enjoyable and affordable weekend outing. Newport Railway Museum's display includes the largest collection of steam locomotives of the former Victorian Railways, many of which were built just metres away in the Newport Railway Workshops. An amazing testament to Victoria's home-grown industrial capability, the collection ranges from a diminutive tank engine built in 1880 all the way up to 1941's 264 tonne express passenger locomotive 'Heavy Harry', the largest locomotive ever built in Australia. The collection extends into the modern era, with diesels ranging from a 40 horsepower shunting locomotive to a 1,800 horsepower mainline locomotive, and electric suburban trains dating from 1923 to 1983. There are beautiful carriages to see, highlights including the Art Deco stainless-steel interior of 1939 buffet car 'Mitta Mitta' or the intricate Art Nouveau timberwork and pressed metal ceilings of 1907 sleeping car 'Torrens'. Other attractions include beautifully-crafted scale models of Victorian trains, the signalbox, and many smaller displays of other railway exhibits ranging from photographs to railway crockery.

Newport VIC

1.9 km away

The Substation building — Image credit: The Substation

Entertainment Venues

The Substation

The Substation is a landmark multi-art space. Enjoy free tours of this historic building, gallery exhibitions, an onsite bar, bookshop, art installations, music performances and more. The Substation is located approximately 200 metres from Newport train station, nearby to other iconic sites such as Scienceworks, Newport Railway Museum and Williamstown Botanic Gardens. A stone's throw away from the banks of the Birrarung (Yarra River), The Substation presents a curated program of contemporary, experimental, interdisciplinary work by local, national and international artists to create opportunities for audiences in Melbourne's greater west to see the best of contemporary and experimental arts. Constructed over a century ago in 1915 to power Melbourne's suburban rail system, The Substation building is a landmark in the industrial history of the inner west of the city. In the 1960s, The Substation ceased operation in its original purpose and the building fell into disrepair for three decades. Through the determination and hard work of a group of local residents, The Substation building was successfully restored as Hobsons Bay Community Arts Centre in 2008, before formally adopting the name The Substation and being reimagined as one of the country's most significant homes for contemporary and experimental arts, a cultural precinct with national and international critical acclaim. The spirit that propelled those local heroes through its transformation is still imbued in the site today.

Newport VIC

3.0 km away

Westgate Park

National Parks and Reserves

Westgate Park

Westgate Park is an oasis located in the heart of industrial Melbourne. The park is perhaps best known for its Salt Lake which turns pink seasonally in response to high salt levels, high temperatures, increased sunlight and lack of rainfall, returning to its normal colour as the weather cools and rainfall increases. The shared paths in Westgate Park are popular with cyclists, joggers and walkers, and connect to some of Melbourne's significant trail networks, including the 53 kilometre Bay Trail. View the Earth Series Sculptures made from natural materials and add to the unique landscape and character of Westgate Park. Pack a picnic and make use of the free shared electric barbecue facility. Westgate Park forms a sanctuary for a variety of bird species from around the world. Watch the lake for wading birds such as stilts, ibis and spoonbills feeding on the shores, and swimmers and divers including ducks, gulls, coots, pelicans, swans and moorhens. Before you go check Parks Victoria's website for local changes and park conditions. Be bushfire ready in the great outdoors and stay up to date using the Vic Emergency website.

Port Melbourne VIC

3.6 km away

Auscarts Indoor Racing

Sports and Recreation Facilities

Auscarts Indoor Racing

Auscarts is a state of the art indoor karting venue and entertainment complex just 7 minutes from the heart of Melbourne's city centre. Auscarts is an ideal venue for corporate functions, team building activities, bucks and hens or just a fun time with friends. Test your sensory threshold and advance your driving skills at speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour. The weather free track is open seven days a weeks which makes it possible to plan your karting experience without limitations. Race statistics are recorded and displayed on the scoreboard and individuals receive printed out lap times to take home. To ensure the safety and hygiene, helmets of the correct size are provided along with hairnets. The track has safety monitors and lighting and speed controls. A video safety briefing is presented before racing. All drivers need to be 13 years of age and older and need to approximately 143 centimetres tall to race. Karts can safely hold weights up to 145 kilograms. All drivers need to be 0.00 blood alcohol to race on the track.

Port Melbourne VIC

3.7 km away

Scienceworks

Observatories and Planetariums

Scienceworks

Scienceworks is Melbourne's interactive science museum, where curiosity comes to life through hands-on experiences, immersive exhibits and live demonstrations. Designed for visitors of all ages, Scienceworks inspires exploration and discovery by making science accessible, engaging and fun. Home to the renowned Melbourne Planetarium, the electrifying Lightning Theatre and the action-packed Sportsworks gallery, Scienceworks offers a unique blend of education and entertainment. Visitors can explore the wonders of space, experience the power of lightning, test their physical abilities, and discover how science, technology, engineering and mathematics shape the world around us. With a year-round program of exhibitions, workshops, festivals and events, Scienceworks encourages families, students and lifelong learners to ask questions, experiment, create and think about the future. Whether you're interested in astronomy, engineering, innovation or everyday science, Scienceworks is a place where everyone can discover their inner scientist

Spotswood VIC

3.8 km away

Grazeland overlooking Melbourne City — Image credit: Grazeland

Amusement and Theme Parks

Grazeland Melbourne

Grazeland is Melbourne's most exciting foodie precinct: a playground for foodies and families that brings tantalising food and entertainment together in one fabulous location. Situated just five kilometres from the Melbourne CBD, Grazeland provides a festival environment featuring live performance stages and roving entertainers, all in one incredible atmosphere that celebrates Melbourne's amazing food culture. It's the perfect weekend destination for families, friends, work colleagues and groups. Located next to the popular Scienceworks attraction, visitors to Grazeland can enjoy views over Melbourne's city skyline all year round with 80% of the precinct under roof protection. Car parking is available on site, with bicycle parking provided at the front gate, and Spotswood train station just a short walk away.

Spotswood VIC

3.8 km away

Gasworks Creative Precinct

Entertainment Venues

Gasworks Creative Precinct

Gasworks is a home for creativity: a vital precinct where people gather for connection, belonging, and to experience the transformative power of art, nature, and culture. Located in Albert Park on the former South Melbourne Gas Plant site, Gasworks combines four hectares of parkland with two galleries, two theatres, artist studios, workshops, function spaces, and a café. Each year, over 100,000 community members engage with creativity through 200 performing arts events, 30 visual art exhibitions, 15 artist studios, 12 farmers' markets, over 300 classes and workshops, professional development pathways, access to spaces, and family and school holiday programs.  Gasworks is distinct in its commitment to multiple art forms – visual art, theatre, comedy, circus, cabaret, dance, live music, and family programming. It is also distinct in its support for sector development, providing pathways from entry-level to professional practice.

Albert Park VIC

4.1 km away

Children on stepping stones at Newport Lakes — Image credit: Hobsons Bay City Council

Parks and Gardens

Newport Lakes

Newport Lakes is a bushland oasis created from a former bluestone quarry and rubbish tip site in the middle of busy Newport. The park is a great place for a picnic with family and friends, for a leisurely walk or just to relax in a tranquil bushland setting. The lakes area of the 33-hectare park has been extensively revegetated using native plants, with over 200 species of plants and 85 species of birds recorded here. A self-guided nature trail allows you to explore the lakes area at your own pace. The trail is about two kilometres in length and takes approximately 40 minutes. A brochure about the trail is available from the on-site nursery.

Newport VIC

4.1 km away

Port Phillip

National Parks and Reserves

Port Phillip

Port Phillip is the entrance to Australia's busiest port and is one of Victoria's most popular recreational destinations. Although Port Phillip is commonly referred to as 'the Bay' or 'Port Phillip Bay', Port Phillip is actually not a bay at all. It's a local port area that is actually made up of over 16 bays. Every year millions of people enjoy its vast coastline, world-class swimming beaches and coastal parks. An entirely different perspective however is available to those who explore Port Phillip by boat. Island, shipwrecks and marine reserves dot Port Phillip, while scuba diving and fishing reveal the colourful diversity of Port Phillip's marine life. Over 3.2 million people live around its shore, making Port Phillip Australia's most densely populated catchment. Port Phillip is a large expanse of water that is surprisingly shallow in many places. Conditions can change in parks for many reasons. For the latest information on changes to local conditions, please visit the relevant park page on the Parks Victoria website. Be bushfire ready in the great outdoors. Refer to the Bushfire Safety section on the Parks Victoria website for tips on how to stay safe.

Port Melbourne VIC

4.2 km away

Portable Iron Houses

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Portable Iron Houses

See what life was like in Melbourne during the gold rush era when you visit one of the few remaining prefabricated buildings in the world. The three houses in South Melbourne are among the last nineteenth-century prefabricated iron buildings. With gold discovered in Victoria in 1851 accommodation was needed for the many migrants flocking to the colony. Tents and prefabricated iron houses met that need. Ordered from a catalogue, the buildings offered ranged from modest cottages to theatres and even churches that could hold over 700 people. Constructed in Britain, the houses were dismantled, every component labelled then packed into crates and shipped abroad to be reassembled in their new location. Specialist labour was not required and anyone could assemble them by following the instructions. By 1855 South Melbourne comprised nearly 100 portable buildings, of which Patterson House is on its original site. Abercrombie House and Bellhouse were relocated to the current sites from North Melbourne and Fitzroy. All three make up the Portable Iron Houses experience. The Portable Iron Houses are open on the first Sunday of the month from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

South Melbourne VIC

5.2 km away

Sun Theatre — Image credit: Sun Theatre

Entertainment Venues

Sun Theatre

The Sun Theatre is a gorgeous Art Deco cinema located in the heart of Yarraville. It is renowned for its cosy atmosphere, comfy seats, community vibe, and, of course, the best homemade choc-tops in the Western suburbs of Melbourne. When it originally opened in 1938, the Sun was a single-screen, 1050 seat cinema and the most luxurious in the area. Today it has eight boutique art deco inspired cinemas ranging in size from 200 seats down to 23 couches and variations in between, screening new release and art house films from Hollywood, Australia and around the world. The Sun is fully licensed and available for functions such as fundraising events, kids' parties, corporate events, private cinema hire, school bookings, and weddings. It is easily accessible by train with Yarraville station located just behind the building. There is also parking available nearby.

Yarraville VIC

5.5 km away

Aptus Seafood

Shopping and Markets

South Melbourne Market

South Melbourne Market opened in 1867, making it Melbourne's longest continually running market. With almost 150 stalls operated by small business owners, the market features a huge range of products including; fresh fruit and vegetables, butchers, poultry, seafood and delis, groceries and specialty foods, pet food and supplies, men's and women's fashion, footwear, accessories and children's wear, homewares and kitchenware, books and stationery, giftware and cards, restaurants, cafes, speciality coffee stores and take-away food, cakes and confectioneries, plants and flowers and much more. The Market is just 10 minutes from Melbourne's city centre and is easily accessible by tram, bus, bike, foot or car.

South Melbourne VIC

5.5 km away

St Kilda Pier and Kiosk — Image credit: Parks Victoria

Landmarks and Buildings

St Kilda Pier and Breakwater

Stretching out into Port Phillip Bay, St Kilda Pier is Melbourne's most favourite seaside playground. It provides the perfect location for a leisure walk, sunset photography, boating, fishing, or soaking in the stunning views of Port Phillip and the Melbourne skyline, this accessible pier is a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy. The Pier dates back to the mid 1800s as an early working jetty. The breakwater was later constructed for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, as a safe harbour for sailing events. The newly renovated pier, at 450 metres in length offers the perfect location for a walk, enjoying a morning coffee from the cascading seating or watch the sunset over the city skyline. The breakwater is home to a little penguin colony and a new viewing boardwalk has been built to provide protection for penguins by separating visitors from the sensitive penguin nesting sites. In the heart of the pier is the St Kilda Pier Kiosk, open daily, offering food and beverages. Due to submerged obstacles below the water's surface and shallow areas, jumping and diving off the pier and other structures is not permitted. Check conditions and follow water safety advice to make sure your day out at St Kilda Pier and Breakwater is a safe and enjoyable one.

St Kilda VIC

5.6 km away

Rooftop bar overlooking St Kilda Beach — Image credit: St Kilda Sea Baths

Entertainment Venues

St Kilda Sea Baths

On Melbourne's premier beachfront, the St Kilda Sea Baths overlooks the picturesque St Kilda Beach and Bay. With a rich history, this Melbourne institution continues to define the ultimate beachside lifestyle. Six kilometres from the Melbourne Central Business District, parking on site and easy Transport (Tram). The Sea Baths is home to cocktail bars, restaurants and cafes. It has dining on the sand as well as outdoor areas and inside venues. Captain Baxter, the place to be 'scene' in St Kilda. Beachside cocktail lounge and restaurant. Rooftop deck, live music, great food and drinks. Republica, an iconic St Kilda bar, and restaurant with courtyard and beachside dining and drinks. Beachcomber Café goes beyond expectations providing uninterrupted views and Greek fare - specialising in fresh seafood. Encore St Kilda is one of Australia's most awarded function and events centres with unmatched location and style. Kite Republic has it all for kiteboarding and stand-up paddle board hire, sales and lessons. South Pacific Health Club is the best health and fitness Club in Melbourne. High Altitude training, yoga and more. It is known as Melbourne's best gym. The Sea Baths pool has unmatched health benefits from filtered Sea Water. It is frequented by AFL Teams doing Hot/Cold recovery sessions from the warm pool/spa, into the Bay. Go here to see the new St Kilda Pier and Penguin Colony.

St Kilda VIC

5.7 km away

Be-Ras Creatives Art Cafe

Galleries, Museums and Collections

Be-Ras Creatives Art Cafe

Welcome to Be-Ras Creatives, your cozy and welcoming art café in Docklands, Melbourne. At Be-Ras, which means lost in nirvana in Sanskrit, they believe that diving into crafting can help you discover a wonderful sense of inner peace and joy. They offer a fantastic range of art and craft workshops that are perfect for anyone looking to unwind and express their creativity. Whether you want to create a beautiful glass-painted lamp or a pressed flower lamp, immerse yourself in the gold lines of kintsugi, get lost in the world of mosaic, make a charming terrarium or kokedama, or even make some lovely jewellery in terms of polymer earrings, a cloisonne brooch, or a mother-of-pearl inlay brooch, or just have some fun with a decoupage bag. They have something for everyone. Their workshops are all about providing a cozy, creative space where you can explore your ideas with a smaller group of friendly faces. The moment you step through the door, you will feel right at home. Creating something new isn't just liberating; it's also a whole lot of fun. Come join a community of awesome, like-minded people and dive into your new passion project together. Creating something amazing with them.

Docklands VIC

5.7 km away

Kindred Studios Entrance

Entertainment Venues

Kindred Studios

Kindred Studios is a vibrant live music and creative hub in Melbourne's inner west, bringing together an exciting program of live performance, community and good times under one roof. From intimate afternoon gigs to late-night jams, Kindred's programming celebrates Melbourne's diverse musical landscape, with everything from jazz, soul and world music to rock, experimental sounds and emerging local artists. Pair the live music with Kindred's bar specials and affordable drinks, and you've got an easygoing Melbourne night out. Whether you're dropping in for an afternoon set, discovering your next favourite artist or staying late to see where the music takes you, Kindred Studios is a must-visit destination for music lovers exploring Melbourne's inner west.

Yarraville VIC

5.7 km away

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