Low Head Maritime Museum

On the picturesque Low Head Peninsula, at the mouth of the Tamar River, is Australia's oldest pilot station dating from 1807. It is a delightful collection of cottages in a beautiful setting of extensive waterside grounds with tall Norfolk Island pines and boating facilities. The Pilot Station Maritime Museum occupies the 1835 convict-built Pilots Row, the oldest and largest building on the site. It tells stories of shipping on the Tamar River, and has an extensive display of relics from the days of sail and steam.

The museum is a delight for families, having something of interest for people of all ages. Here children are allowed to touch. They are encouraged to handle the ship's helm, operate the engine room telegraphs, sound the fog horn, ring the ship's bell and send messages in Morse Code from the very room where the first telegrams were transmitted to Victoria in 1859. The museum also has in the boatshed a collection of small sailing boats, which can also be visited. Please ask if you are interested.

Followingyour visit to the museum, you can linger for a while, have a coffee or snack at the Coxswain's Cottage Cafe, where you can enquire about accommodation in the boat crew cottages or at the lighthouse. You are also welcome to wander around the grounds or have a picnic, even swim in the old boat harbour or at the many nearby beaches.

Then continue on to the headland, past the old cable station to Australia's third oldest light station, with its grand light house, which replaced the original light in 1890. Here too is the only operating G-type fog horn in the Southern Hemisphere. It sounds at noon each Sunday. You can also see one of the replica semaphore masts, which relayed messages between Low Head and Launceston until 1858.
Museum opens daily from 10am til 4pm. Price is $5 with concession, child and family rates also available.

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Phone(03) 6382 1143
Address411-437 Low Head Rd, LOW HEAD 7253
Websitehttp://museum.lowhead.com