An extraordinary collection of Navy Heritage was revealed today by the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Shalders at the opening of the Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre on the shores of Sydney Harbour. A selection of artefacts showcasing a century of Australia’s Naval heritage is displayed in the Centre which is located in the Public Area at the northern end of Garden Island. Exhibits from Navy’s heritage collection of 250,000 items will be rotated through the Heritage Centre.

Vice Admiral Shalders said the RAN Heritage Centre is an institution of national significance dedicated to all those who have served, are serving and will serve in Australia's Navy. “The Centre aims to inform and educate the public on our Navy’s history through more than 100 years of peace and war,” VADM Shalders said. “Visitors will be able to explore the rich history of our Navy in one of the largest Naval collections of its kind in the world.”

The RAN Heritage Centre is highly interactive. Visitors will see an extensive range of artefacts from ships and battles including those from Colonial Navies. Visitors can also stand on a simulated open bridge of a World War II destroyer, get a submariner's view of Sydney Harbour through a fully operational attack periscope and inspect the conning tower of one of the Japanese midget submarines that attacked Sydney Harbour in World War II.

Historic gardens and unparalleled views of Sydney Harbour will also be opened in the Public Area. The Public Area has a number of relics from Garden Island's past. It holds the earliest known graffiti in Australia January 1788 from when Fredrick Meredith, a First Fleet sailor, carved his initials into a sandstone rock. Whilst surrounded by Navy's heritage, visitors can also enjoy a light meal, coffee or cold drink at the new Salthorse Café.

The ex-Main Signal Building, which once controlled the movement of naval vessels in and out of the harbour, has had its roof converted to a viewing platform. Here visitors can enjoy a spectacular 360-degree view of Sydney Harbour. The RAN Heritage Centre opens to the public on Wednesday, 5 October 2005. The Centre will be open between 9.30am and 3.30pm daily and will operate seven days a week. The public will be able to travel by ferry from Circular Quay to Garden Island.

Media Contact: Lieutenant Helen Suttie Defence Public Affairs 0422946953