March Historically Speaking sees us return to the Mission to Seafarers in Docklands for a maritime heritage-themed session.

On the Move? Towards a history of Melbourne's maritime heritage

Dr. Steven Cooke, former manager of the Melbourne Maritime Museum explores the history and geography of Melbourne’s maritime heritage. Through a biography of the museum site, he examines the debates about the future use and location of the Polly Woodside brought about by the continuing redevelopment of Melbourne’s South Wharf from the mid-1990s until today.  These contentious and often heated debates were shaped by different understandings of the ship's cultural significance, as well as ideas of community, ownership and sustainability, and which have wider implications for the management of maritime cultural heritage within a context of rapid urban change.

The session will begin at 6:30pm, with food and drinks from 6pm. Following the session you are invited to stay for a drink (at bar prices) in the secret garden, an oasis in the rapidly developing Docklands. A perfect way to reconnect with colleagues, unwind and help support the great work of Mission to Seafarers.

• Members $3 / $5 (with pizza) 
• Non-members $6 / $10 (with pizza) 
• Please RSVP mail@phavic.org.au (please indicate if you are having pizza)

Speaker Bio:

Dr Steven Cooke is the Course Director of the Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies programs at Deakin University.  He spent 10 years working in the heritage sector in Melbourne, including at the Melbourne Maritime Museum, home of the Polly Woodside and the Shrine of Remembrance. He has published widely on heritage and urban redevelopment, and the memorial landscapes of war and genocide.