The Queensland Maritime Museum was founded in 1971 and is run by a self-funded voluntary Association. It is situated on the banks of the Brisbane River at the southern end of South Bank Parklands. The Museum contains extensive collections of historical maritime artefacts, books, documents and photographs. The collection is displayed to the public in the galleries and grounds of the Museum under the broad headings of Navigation, Lighthouses, Ship Models, Marine Engines, Vessels, and the Dry Dock.

On behalf of members of the public the Queensland Maritime Museum carries out research on all aspects of Queensland’s and Australia’s maritime history as well as on maritime matters generally.

The Museum is staffed by volunteers and a Chief Executive Officer and an Operations Supervisor.  Our members include a high percentage of retired persons, many still using the skills of their trade or profession. There are retired ship masters, marine engineers, and ex naval personnel. There are persons skilled in carpentry, painting, boilermakers, fitters and turners, motor mechanics, printers - using presses over 100 years old - bookbinders, boat builders and people from management and other fields all working to restore and maintain the museum's collection. Others are learning skills in preservation of historic artefacts and how to display them. In the library we have members cataloguing books, photographs and drawings as well as doing research into maritime history. In addition, there are those who look after the entrance, selling tickets and souvenirs, and those who guide tour groups and aged persons, as well as the very many school excursions that come to the museum to learn a little of our maritime history.