A FOCUSED FUTURE FOR OUR MARITIME PAST Warwick A Turner from a talk to attendees at a Williamstown Maritime Association function at 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown on 2 October 2005 1. Introduction Having spent 40 years involved with the planning, development, operation and direction of open air museums it gives me great pleasure to provide a point of view that hopefully will provide some focus for the future of this site. Clearly I am going to lay down the case for a world-class maritime heritage precinct that has all the potential to celebrate our maritime past - a precinct that will embrace the Williamstown community, the Melbourne community and the visitor community. Williamstown and Melbourne have a rich, exciting, but sometimes painful story to tell. For those in the audience who feel that museums are passe, non-commercial, boring, not relevant in to day's society, I would just like to remind you that some of the world's most important institutions are museums. They collect, hold, preserve and interpret the world's past glory. Things that are precious, things that mattered to society, things that tell a story about our past, that help us to understand who we are and what we stand for, are displayed for our consideration and interpretation. Around 977,000 people recently visited museums and art galleries in Melbourne, with hundreds of thousands of visitors attending provincial and rural exhibitions. Sovereign Hill currently receives 500,000 visitors in the daytime and 95,000 at night-time. Melbourne is considered the cultural hub of Australia, and Williamstown district significantly contributes to this, with the Railway Museum and Steam Rail and the Scienceworks. A museum's output cannot be measured in financial terms alone. The quality of exhibitions that resonate with the viewer is the real test of success. Clearly any museum institution requires financial responsibility and this is a constant struggle. Techniques have been developed over the years to "balance the books" and I will pursue this matter later in this talk. In a few words I have tried to convince those who are not sure about museums to at least move forward with an open mind. In the last 25 years much has been debated and learnt about the formulae for success. Fundamental principles exist but each structure has to be built on its strengths - with innovative solutions to problems. I thought it would be appropriate to start with the following quote: When James Craig was resting in the mud of Recherche Bay, only a far-sighted optimistic dreamer could have believed that this rusting, barnacle-covered hulk was a precious jewel of not only national but world significance: that one day it would be transformed into Australia's only operational historic square rigger and that one day she would grace her last home port - only this time in pride of place for perpetuity. This was the Introduction to the 1986 JAMES CRAIG Project Definition Document. I repeat it here today for two reasons: 1. It clearly emphasises that a great deal of tenacity, hard work, passion and absolute commitment is required to achieve a project which has real community value. 2. It also shows that society at all levels must be a contributor with money and labour and expertise. 3. It also emphasises the undeniable fact that a well thought-out, agreed plan is fundamental to success. It should be noted that this 100-page plus document planned for each and every requirement - from the rivets through to the sponsorship program. Its production was 14 years after James Craig's purchase and it brought the project back into line and to sail again, an objective which tragically had been lost. The plan, if produced in the beginning, would have saved over one million dollars in work on the ship which had to done again. So planning and commitment from a large range of people from all over Melbourne are keys to this site's future. 2. What are the objectives? I am unaware of any site constraints, so will proceed on the basis that: A. The site has intrinsic historic value which needs recognition and interpretation. B. That Parks Victoria's published objectives for the site are still valid. They are: 1. Protection of maritime heritage values, including not exceeding the scale of the site. 2. Appropriate reuse of historical buildings on the site. 3. Development of the site to create a visitor destination from water and land. 4. Provision of casual berths and ferry terminal to link with other activities around Port Phillip. 5. Increase and improve the provision of public access to open space and water facilities, including disabled access. 6. Provision of a view through to water from Nelson Place. 7. No residential development. 8. Address traffic requirements and provide appropriate car parking. 9. Creation of a vibrant maritime precinct incorporating activities such as maritime industries, mixed uses and commercial activities. C. That Williamstown Maritime Association (the chosen community group to guide the development) retain their objectives which are: 1. The preservation of historic vessels and sites. 2. To promote maritime events, with an educational theme on both land and water. 3. To develop an appreciation of all things of a maritime nature in the community. 4. To provide public awareness of the Williamstown Maritime Precinct, Australia wide. 5. To provide access for disabled and elderly people to enjoy marine related activities. 6. To Involve the community in passing on maritime skills to the next generation. D. That Hobson Bay City Council is locked into supporting the project E . That the community and the politicians are being maintained in a state of anticipation These values espoused by both parties are laudable. There requires, however, a reconciliation of these two sets of objectives if consistent and focused progress is to be made. I am uncertain of the status of any formal understanding between Parks Vic and the Association. It is clear that the continued slow progress is in part caused by the lack of any final arrangement so necessary if certainty, trust and direction are to be established. 3. Where to from the Objectives? From my perspective the direction forward is confused. What are we planning? Is it a business park with a maritime theme? A maritime precinct but no heritage boats or slipway? A retail complex with a light marine industry offering? Hospitality is important so what about a mix of restaurant, cafe and a maritime museum? The point is that there needs to be a focused theme that will create a first-class attraction that will draw and hold visitors. The Vision Statement by the Williamstown Maritime Association is an attempt to gather together some of the thinking. It is a vision not a plan, and significant consideration needs to be given to who are the intended visitors come users of the space. What are there needs and aspirations, why would they want to come to an industrial site? What will older people gain - nostalgia? The young have quite different needs - will parents' feelings of obligation to educate and entertain their children be met? Perhaps a theme park will do it? Its unlikely but if rental income is the prime objective then this may be the way to go. The point I am making is that there are elements just mentioned that have a place on this site, but the degree of influence that will make a homogeneous mix that works is a key question that needs urgent resolution. This needs to be done in the context of the Focused Theme that becomes the prime development strategy around which other supporting elements are planned. Williamstown's basic spiritual character is a maritime culture, with railways running second. The unique opportunity for this community and for this site is to celebrate the place Williamstown had in the life of Melbourne and the state. This site is unique, its survival gratifying and its potential almost limitless. We are very, very lucky that this chance has been given to us. Our inheritance is the next generation's inheritance and our duty is to maximise the site's potential and allow the site to speak and tell the stories that will inform and fascinate. To demean the site with low expectations and poor use outcomes will be an indictment on this generation. The location, the remains, the history, the place where men have trod for over 150 years demonstrates to me that the site's prime focus must be the development of an outdoor Maritime Museum or you may prefer a Maritime Heritage Park. 4. The Need for Heritage Sites Before those who feel that this focus is not valid please listen to the following: Heritage work is reinforced by the widely felt need to be aware of one's own heritage. In the older areas of the world, where monuments and physical remnants of the past are close at hand, no special effort may be needed to create this awareness. In newer countries of the world, the past is a scarce commodity and some special efforts may be necessary to make it more available. The world needs us to establish historica1 integrity in heritage work the same as it needs to preserve endangered species. Variety is a survival characteristic in culture as well as genetics. And people need to be able to feel that in certain special places their heritage is being kept and looked after by capable, dedicated custodians. In a time of great and rapid change, outdoor museums and historic places offer a kind of surrogate home town for people whose once familiar landscapes may have been obliterated by progress or altered beyond recognition. I don't believe this is anything like "escapism", and it will become "mere nostalgia" only if we allow it to be. People need to see the way their ancestors lived. They need to know how the events of the past have had an influence on them, they need to see this free from curatorial or journalistic editing. They care about more than architecture or fine arts; they want to know about life styles, problems of getting food, raising children, surviving illness and wars; they want to know gossip and the motivations of our ancestors. Museums allow us to use the hypothetical existence on display to better evaluate our own lives. This kind of discovery fits people into their own time and their own society like nothing else can. It is well known that people learn more readily when they are involved. Museums, especially outdoor museums which involve people through their senses, have an excellent potential to teach. Objects offer a language everyone can understand. 5. The Universal Function of Museums In 1975 we had a major Inquiry into museums the results from which set a path which has guided, much that has occurred since. It identified the universal functions of museums. It included, of course, the four basic functions: to collect, preserve, study and display. Rut it went further and expressed that role in almost poetic terms: Museums should satisfy curiosity and arouse curiosity. Museums should extend the front lines of knowledge, enable curious spectators to visit these front lines and understand how some of the battles to extend knowledge are fought. Museums should give play to the magic provided by the rare or unique object. Museums should be both art-form and theatre, attempting to improve the quality and variety of messages which that art-form is most fitted to send forth. Museums should entertain people of all ages. Museums can do all that - but outdoor museums and parks can do it even better. They can present their information in a far more holistic unity of activities and environment. They can offer a counterbalance to academic sterility (which seems a real occupational hazard) and they can correct the hyperbole and mythology about the past which is often perpetuated by careless writers. They preserve vernacular objects, and move beyond the stereotype that museums are churches for collectors. They offer living laboratories where people can touch and taste and smell and participate in a way that would be unthinkable at the nations architectural and. historic shrines. Outdoor museums and parks can do much to overcome the long-standing deficiencies of traditional museums - they can better show processes and context and concepts, and they are less susceptible to the artificial compartmentalization of knowledge. In a time of diminishing resources they give us workable examples of simpler life styles. Indeed, "the rise of the local and living history museums forms one of the most vigorous cultural movements in Australia in recent times," and "the nature of Australian history and its restively long democratic tradition suggests that outdoor (folk ) museums might eventually occupy a role as important as that occupied by natural history in our museums of the 19th century." These last statements come from the Inquiry on Museums, which praised the potential of outdoor museums. I think most of you will agree that Sovereign Hill has reached that status. Museums and parks, as guardians of our heritage do something else well. They provide the warp and weft of a country's social, fabric. They provide a sense of identity, along with the historical themes and images that offer a rallying point for constructive citizenship. That's what we CAN DO, given adequate resources and focus. In the past living history museums have been criticised for simplifying and distorting the past, and presenting historical and curatorial cliches at the expense of deeper understanding - that we sacrifice scholarship to entertainment. There is truth in this statement but this pitfall can be avoided by us who must find and follow the advice of specialists who have historical competence. The question of historical competence will need to be top of mind, if the direction I am advocating is pursued. Any number of people know a good bit about the past, but misrepresent or misconstrue that information. What we will need are people who have a better than average command of historical information, who can make thoughtful, well-informed decisions on when and how that information should be used. To sum up my case for a focussed use for this site I would like to quote from Bill and Shirley Low, Americans who are highly skilled keepers of the past - ". . . we wish to state our credo that historic resources are a part of the national heritage and that consequently they should be run for the benefit of the public at large. We who work for historical agencies do not own the site. We are trustees for them. They are ours to restore and. manage and Interpret because earlier generations saved them for us; so we, in turn, have an obligation to future generations who have an equal claim to that heritage. Our trusteeship places upon us an ethical commitment to accuracy in restoration, truth in interpretation, and protection for the next generation. The financial support we receive from the public reinforces our obligation to the people. We do not meet that obligation just by saving and restoring a historic site. Only when the essential meaning of the site and of the people and events associated with it is communicated to the visitor can we truly say that we have met out responsibilities. 6. Advancing the Dream into Reality If you are with me so far, we need to consider how we could advance the dream into reality. The concept, that has been suggested to me, that the advancement of the site could occur through an evolutionary process, is in my view fundamentally flawed. Whatever the direction, an agreed written plan is essential. It is a vital component in the formulae for success. Whether we are building a shopping complex, a railway line or a boat we need a plan and time lines. For this site we need to: Establish the core values and the resolution of fundamental imperatives; factor in the results of a SWOT analysis; review and factor in the vision statement taking into account the proposed core site use; respond to potential visitor market research; and adjust Parks Vic and Williamstown Maritime Association objectives to reflect the site's core use , so a Site Management Plan can be devised and publicly debated prior to its finalisation and implementation. A Site Management Plan would include: 1. DETAILS OF FOCUSED THEME To be valid it must respond to the heritage opportunities, support commercial/rental opportunities, be maintained and communicated effectively and fulfill the expectation of ALL stakeholders. 2. STRUCTURE A sound workable structure melding Parks Vic., Community Lead Group, Local government, management, volunteers, leaseholders, sponsors and benefactors . 3. FINANCIAL STABILITY Plan for seeding grants for potential visitor/ market research, and establish management plan. Plan for capital works programme - resolving key projects that would create desire to visit and ensure a "critical mass" upon which the site can further develop. Plan for finance for special events, temporary exhibitions both day and night. Plan for recurrent expenses being satisfactorily met from operating revenues and establish source to secure future project specific funds . 4. CO-ORDINATED BUSINESS STRATEGY In which the overall site is well managed, in which excellent marketing and communications is established to keep all stakeholders advised and where trust and reassurance is built within the community and market place. Adherence to a strong museological ethic is maintained and the old trouble spot of commercialism verses heritage is managed with sensitivity. As you can gather I have no problem with sound business methods, commercialism, tourism, promotion and fiscal accountability being part of our heritage business - in fact they are an essential. But I emphasise that the measurement of history and heritage are ultimately intangible and non-quantifiable. They are fragile. They require the same ethics as environmental conservation. If "good business methods" begin to overwhelm historical honesty or the preservation of historic fabric, then I submit that those methods are no longer good ones for the business that I propose this site to be in. 5. OTHER SPECIFIC AIMS THAT A MANAGEMENT PLAN SHOULD ADDRESS * Conserve and interpret the heritage values of the site, and carry out historic research on the site. * Establish the site as a place of public enjoyment and education * Provide public access and space for cultural events. * Revive the site by reintroducing maritime and other related industry, trades and skills. * Provide visitor support amenities such as, entertainment, education, outlets, retail, offices and studios, craft and trade venues. * Connect the site by water to other venues and to the city and provide a night-time experience. 7. Background to These Requirements l would now like to deal with a few matters in more detail which I hope will interest you. I also hope that the following will give you a better understanding of what I am proposing. Before launching off into this detail I want you to think about just one matter which in my mind was resolved 40 years ago when we acquired the vice-regal steam yacht "Lady Hopetoun", for the then-embryonic Sydney Maritime Museum. For most in 1965 it was virtually an impossible thought to preserve and operate a steamboat that was worn out ... finished. From 1961 onwards when we started the acquisition process it was no, no, no. There were a few exceptions, people of influence who shared the vision. Behind the scene they quietly helped and we had no doubt that the public, while ambivalent, were prepared to give us a go. Others thought that a nice painting or the preservation of the main engine would suffice. The end of the steam era was nigh. The skills, the visual enjoyment the vessels intrinsic value were all in jeopardy. Was it to be a picture or the real thing. We finally won and thousands of people have enjoyed the real experience of a living working steam yacht. How superior is the interpretation in this form as against the viewing of a painting. You will understand what I am saying first hand when you have the opportunity to sail on the James Craig. Its a thousand times better than gazing at her in a photo. If you apply this supreme interpretative method to this site your vision starts to match mine. 8. How Can we Start When we Don't Have Any Money? Let me tell you it is not easy. Some of your people have already put in dollars to try and start matters moving ahead. They are to be congratulated - but its only the beginning. The first principal of fund raising is that those who want the funds must first give. To keep coming back to the plan which must be in place, it must contain inspiring ideas based on the museum ethic. It is clear to me that when the fund raising stage is reached the programme must be realistic, directed towards capital works and possibly using the medium of a Foundation. This will be the public fund raising face of the enterprise. The fundraising chairman is usually a well-known, highly respected person with excellent contacts in the areas that can produce the money. Most campaigns run over a three-year period with most of the commitment provided during the first 12 weeks. Tax deductibility is crucial. Philanthropic Trusts can be a source for specifics. Memberships/special events and a major raffle should be considered Local government, once they are locked into the project, can provide directly from their budget seeding grant money to get matters moving. It should be noted that 37,100 people pay rates in Hobson Bay City Council. At a $1 per rate payer sufficient funds could be made available to produce the much needed Development and Management plan. It should also be noted that Council is spending this year $2.025 million on significant projects. Perhaps there is a future opportunity from this source? Or, if Council is so inclined it could apply the proceeds from their Cultural & Recreational rate to aid the need for a seeding grant. The support of Council will also be critical if application is being made for State or Commonwealth grants (which are often one for one). In kind contribution is particularly pertinent to this site. The possibility of running training schemes for disadvantaged youth is real. Already Council officers have shown interest in the possibility of developing a scheme that uses retired mentors to pass on skills to disadvantaged youth. The Hunter Valley Training Company, funded by government and private enterprise carry out training programmes that target heritage objects. They had an involvement with the James Craig and steam locomotives. And there is more to come. 15 -19 year olds in the Western Metropolitan Region have a significantly higher unemployment rate (22.5%) compared with the Victorian rate of 16.9% for the same group. Employment prospects for young people have not improved despite the boom of the 1990's. In fact research reveals that throughout the 1990's the proportion of 15 - 19 year olds "at risk" in the labour market stabilised at over 15%. 1,557 youths are on youth allowance in this municipality. Recently our local Echuca CVGT ran a "Youth at Risk" mentoring/skills development scheme for 12 disadvantaged youths. Five now have fulltime jobs, three have part time jobs and two fell through the net. The scheme won four awards, was based on the wine industry and was funded by Dept. Employment & Workplace Relations and Dept of Justice (pilot schemes). The programme was innovative and I have no doubt that similar schemes could be developed in this municipality for both the proposed Williamstown Heritage Seaport and Steamrail. I can imagine that that there would be a number of retired skilled tradesmen living in this community who would jump at the chance to pass on their skills, enjoy the company and progress the restoration of heritage objects - a win win for all. Over the years I have run various job creation schemes within the heritage context and all had satisfactory outcomes. This is another possibility for future site input. Disengaged young people need to be valued, given hope, a future, a place in community life and the opportunity to develop social values. The heritage seaport can do this and the Victorian Learning and Skills Commission are always on the lookout for sound ideas. Traditional sources for government funding are still available for community based projects that have real, long lasting value. The Victorian Government through Business Victoria has a Regional Infrastructure Development Fund and Start up Funding Heritage Victoria has limited funding and the Community Support Fund can provide opportunity. From the Federal scene the Dept. of Tourism and Regional Development has Regional Partnership Programmes. I have just discovered the web site: http://www.grants link.gov.au This may reveal more opportunities. I cannot stress enough the fact that both the local municipality and Tourism Vic. will need to be totally on side, as whoever is considering the provision of a grant will refer to them, and this will require the promoters to have clearly established the tourism advantages and the business advantages to the local traders. There are 784 traders in Williamstown or 2,417 in the Municipality. The advantages both financial and other must be clearly enunciated to at least the Williamstown traders. They are a source of funds and goods in kind. They should also be considered for the commercial opportunities that will be on sight. The service clubs also have a role to play in fund raising and support. Later in the site's development I have no doubt, subject to the appropriate security and collection management controls, the major museums will be able to provide objects from their stored collections on loan for periods of time. Temporary exhibitions, especially from the National Maritime Museum, would be a possibility. This leaves us with the government agency who are the custodians of the site on behalf of all Victorians. My very limited knowledge indicates that Parks Victoria have no real money or desire to alter funding priorities to put into the site. Once we can provide government with a plan containing the elements touched on in this talk, we hopefully will be in a position to convince government that the proposal is a must-have addition to the city's cultural offering. The fundamental infrastructure of the site must be brought up to standard within the heritage context. I am unaware of any civil or mechanical engineering study done which indicates what works are required. This needs to be established - particularly the wharves, seawall, slipways and building fabric. Did I hear "not the slipways"? I find the negative view toward re establishing the slipways nonsensical. The whole place existed because its location allowed vessels to be taken from the water and worked upon. If we can have working heritage vessels why can't we have working slips? Yes there are OH&S issues, cost issues, operational issues on the one hand, but what a fantastic opportunity for the public to watch a vessel being slipped, planks repaired and caulked and returned to the water. On the other hand, there is no doubt that one of the keys to the site is the boats and small ships. If Melbourne is serious about keeping and maintaining a heritage fleet both in community and private hands, a place needs to be provided where slipping can meet the special needs of the fleet. The fact that Parks Vic. indicated to the Dept. of Infrastructure that the large slipway should not be included in the Department's current analysis on Victoria's slipways and their users, should be of great concern to all those who have the long-term view of our remaining heritage afloat. Parks Vic. view on this matter should be tested. In England slipways are being revived for just the purpose described. Excess capacity is rented out, the proceeds going to support the heritage work. The management plan for the slipway can respond to EPA, visitor safety and interpretation of the site. The slipway must be included in any fundamental infrastructure upgrade. The cost of the site upgrade work should be a one-off government funded project that will provide a significant extension to the site's workable life. This one-off should be a treasury-funded payment administered by Parks Vic. 9. Two Over-riding Matters in Fund-Raising 1) Successful fund-raising for heritage work does depend on the owners ( the Victorian government) being seen to be contributing to the site in a financial way. Prospective donors will not give if the government is not doing its fair share. 2) Secondly, the capital works budget, the operating budget, the marketing budget and reinvestment must be on a realistic, achievable level. An operating surplus must be achieved, and factors such as a gate take, rentals income, concessions, need to be appropriated to the heritage managers. This important point needs clarification. What are the financial expectations of the WMA and Parks Vic? The equity in this matter demands serious consideration relative to the objectives. Clearly the site does require appropriate commercial activities, but it is the degree of physical influence that they have on the site that is of particular importance. The outdoor museum aspects of the development should not be intruded upon by commercial activities that for instance service the visitor or provide services to outside customers. The key is to not mix the commercial activities with the heritage interpretation unless the enterprise is offering a genuine, authentic interpretation of a trade/skill etc. This will require exceptional planning as servicing activities, such as catering, souvenir/gift sales, library/research, toilets etc will either need to be on the perimeter of the site or disguised, otherwise the presentation will deteriorate into a theme park with little or no cultural value. Interestingly, the original Connell Wagner indicative development plan responded to these issues, and would be a good starting point together with the vision statement. Another issue that appears to need consideration is the mooring and display of historic vessels. The site provides an appropriate opportunity to display heritage vessels that meet an agreed criteria. This would have reference to the site's core values. However, a place could be available for special visiting vessels or vessels which may be quite modern but who have some special social, technical or achievement feature. Museums should respond to contemporary issues especially if the issue adds to the story being told. These berths would be of a temporary nature but those vessels that are permanently on display and are privately-owned require consideration that may see a small annual grant specifically tied to the vessel's upkeep. This response recognises that vessel's value to the overall presentation and aids the owner to maintain the vessel in museum presentation condition. The concept that all vessels on display would need to be in survey is not appropriate. If this were the case only commercial heritage vessels would be available for display and from my knowledge the number available would be very small. This suggested policy would delete important vessels from the display. Being in survey is no guarantee that the vessel will stay afloat. Certainly it reduces the risk, but most owners of heritage vessels are good housekeepers. Recently the Barcelona Charter was agreed to by the European community, my view is it will be adopted throughout the world, similar to the charter for the conservation and restoration of monuments and sites. The Barcelona Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Traditional Ships in Operation has the intention of safeguarding traditional ships, whether as works of art, as historical evidence, or for perpetuating traditional skills. The document goes on to detail matters of preservation and restoration. I raise this because any vessel that is accepted at the Williamstown Heritage Seaport should agree to embrace the Charter - in this way quality control can be effected. For a copy of the Barcelona Charter, see: http://www.european-maritime-heritage.org/EMHsite/Cultural/barcelona%20charter.htm 10. What Could be included on the Site? I have been asked by some what should be included on the site. My simple answer is that it depends on the historical research in the first instance. There are two parts to the question - on the land and on the water. The heritage fleet presentation should provide opportunities for recreational vessels, yachts, motor cruises, canoes, rowing and motor boats etc. Working port vessels like the S.T. Wattle, fishing boats such as the couta fleet, ferries such as Reemere. It may also be possible to think outside the circle and to include H.M.A.S. Castlemaine and down the track, as land use pressure continues around the Polly Woodside, her removal to Williamstown, if technically possible. Clearly accurate reproductions such as the Enterprise have an important place at the site and other naval possibilities exist. Experiences on board by the public will add a dimension that for many will be remembered for a lifetime. The sense of wonder will dominate as people work ropes or shovel coal. Nothing can compare. The wharves will also require special treatment with the portrayal again responding to historical research. I have no idea if a thorough research programme has been implemented for the site. It certainly was a vessel servicing depot for the Harbor Trust in 1894. But what went before? When was the foreshore reclaimed? Where exactly was the gas works and the old brewery? Perhaps the local historical society can provide the answers to this and the activities that occurred throughout the 20th century. I visited the site on two or three occasions in its dying days to seek help over the huge steel hawsers we were replacing on the Moama slipway. Even then it was a fascinating place - the smells, the skills and knowledge. Our frontline research is to understand this and interpret it. When this is complete we will have a clearer picture for the way ahead. The site's interpretation will only take up a part of what remains. Some educated guess work may suggest the following as worthwhile elements for consideration. 1. Seafarers' Hall of Fame 2. Space for travelling and temporary exhibitions 3. Space for mentoring "at risk" young people pursuing restoration and conservation work (with public viewing). 4. Display of Bay skiffs and early small craft. 5. Working shipwrights' workshop with early flat-belt driven machines 6. Working ships blacksmith workshop - ditto 7. Traditional sailmaker- working heritage display - modern activities behind the scene. 8. Williamstown then and now - the gold rush and immigration. 9. Orientation and education centre 10. An entrance that excites and builds expectations 11. Other support features would relate to a place for special events, library and research facility, curatorial and conservation work shops (with public viewing), associated maritime trades school, marine training services etc. 12. Head quarters for Classic Yacht Association, Australian Heritage Fleet Assoc. (proposed), heritage vessel owners societies, Maritime Heritage Association of Victoria. 13. A working brass and cast iron foundry 14. Rope walk with rigging, masts and spars The trade type activities would be self-employed paying a modest rent. A list of potential non-heritage business activities could be developed but much depends on positioning, passing trade, access and would be subject to expressions of interest and market value rents. Common to both segments would be servicing facilities such as a themed restaurant/tavern (day & night service) and snack bar. It is not inconceivable that themed overnight accommodation could be developed on site. These commercial activities could be available to private entrepreneurs and the application of rentals may be important to support museum work and the ongoing maintenance of the site. Again, I cannot stress strongly enough that the positioning of these possible activities is critical so as to retain the site's heritage value and the fundamental need not to confuse the message to the visitor. 11. Potential Visitors So who are the potential visitors - the people we are proposing to do this for? What are their perceptions of museums? They visit because curiosity is the key reason for the visit - people come to learn. Acquisition of knowledge is closely aligned to enjoyment. It must be a family destination and people generally value a museum. Visitor segmentation studies suggest the following categories of visitors: 1. Educated Enthusiast - Highly educated adults with children between 6 & 12 years, seeking both adult and child experiences. 2. Child Focused - Typically two adults with children between 6 & 12 years, however with a lower educational attainment than the previous segmentation and tending to be focused on the experience of the child in leisure time (rather than the adult and child). 3. Young Social - Singles or couples in their early twenties without children, many of whom seek sporting experiences and are often regarded as tourists. 4. Young Cultural - Similar to segment three, young singles or couples without children in their early twenties, however have a higher level of educational attainment and seeking cultural events in preference to sporting ones. 5. Older Contemplative - Mature adults, with the majority over 50 years of age, who are socially orientated and who prefer sporting events to cultural ones and yet have a preference for the older style museums. 6. No Museum - People in this segment span all ages except 50+ years. They are not highly educated and don't perceive museums to be fun places and typically are more interested in sporting type activities. 7. Loners - People who are mature adults, the majority over 50 years of age, but they are not social and are unlikely to visit museums in the future. Segments one and two are probably our prime targets with occasional visits from segments 3, 4 and 5. We must get to know every detail about these prime target potential visitors. Our thinking must respond to their needs and wants and I have no doubt that if we can successfully do this our work will produce a living history museum that well truly stand the test of time. You may have noticed that I have not - used the words "living history" through out this talk. I have some difficulty with the term as it is somewhat contradictory to my mind, but it does sum up succinctly the direction I fervently believe this site should be headed. Nowhere in Australia is there a maritime living history museum. Nowhere in Australia is there a site that has the potential to activate our maritime past to the depth that this site can. Set directly within one of Australia's most famous and historic seaports, our opportunity, our inheritance provides a 21st Century solution to interpret our forebears' 19th and 20th Century maritime past. It is time to advance this project. The vision will have detractors but all I ask is that the ideas in this talk be discussed, not dismissed. I know there are many others with similar views and belief in the heritage seaport vision. The economic and social benefits that will accrue to the advantage of the Williamstown community and business community should not be underestimated. In my view we need to bring onboard many other specialists who can contribute in many specific ways. These volunteers need managing but their contribution will be the key to initial momentum. 12. To Sum Up A focused future for our maritime past will come out of: 1. Resolve core values. 2. Reconcile Parks Vic and Associations objectives and working system. 3. Carry out historic research of site 4 . Pursue SWOT analysis 5. Resolve future direction - site use 6. Develop management plan 7. Develop site plan This will then activate the need for: * Fund raising campaign * Capital Works plan * Marketing Plan * the development of a set of criteria to guide and control heritage tenants, land and afloat, and commercial tenants. Continual government communication will be essential through this process. Clearly a yearly operating budget will be required with projection out to five years. Matters of staff, curatorial and interpretation costs and recurrent expenditure and maintenance will require serious consideration. Rental income will be an important component of the ongoing viability of the site. There is no question in my mind that a gate charge will be necessary for that area dedicated to the living history museum. I will finish with a quote from David Gonski, ANZ Bank Director, that appeared in The Age 22 September this year. "There are many situations where you can do good in your society and if you do it cleverly and well, then basically it can be a win-win, good for society and good for you too." Thank you for your attention - the challenge is before us. Thanks also to John Fortier who mentored the outdoor museum enterprise in the late 70's early 80's. W.A. Turner