Shipping gallery sets sail as redevelopment preparations continue

Tim Panaretos prepares the Good Intent for storage

Our hard working redevelopment team has this week turned its attention to the Pacific and Shipping Galleries, preparing them for September when construction and renovations begin.

This week the team has been busily packing away more than 150 collection items in these two galleries alone.

They've been de-installing the amazing array of indigenous items (adzes, masks etc) as well as the popular model ships next door.

They’ve again been helped by visitor service officers who have pitched in as part of the preparatory works.

Penny Malone, Maria Macdermott and Tim Panaretos have had a crash-course in preparing the storage boxes for the model ships, many of which were originally built on-site.

The careful work will continue into next week.

Visitors are able to pass through the galleries while the work is on.

So it’s a chance to glimpse the effort involved in putting away these precious objects before their return to the new-look Museum in 2013.