Successful applicants from the 2020-21 Maritime Museums of Australia Project Support Scheme (MMAPSS) round have been announced.
Each year, MMAPSS makes $125,000 available in grant funding to not-for-profit organisations—including regional museums, to protect and preserve Australia’s maritime heritage. This year’s round of funding has been announced with financial support provided for 19 projects.
Applications from areas affected by the 2019–20 bushfires were prioritised for this funding round, with one funded project benefiting up to eight organisations on the New South Wales south coast.
The Australian National Maritime Museum administers MMAPSS. In addition to MMAPSS funding, the Museum is also providing in-kind assistance to several successful applicants and funding to support its internship program.
MMAPSS is supporting 15 projects with grants, four projects will receive a grant and in‑kind support and a further six projects will receive in-kind support from the Museum. The Museum is supporting two paid internships—offering professional development and networking opportunities.
The 2020–21 MMAPSS recipients will undertake a variety of projects including the restoration and refurbishment of the inner light room at the Nelson Head Lighthouse; vessel management plans for the steam ship SS Riverina (Victoria), and the historic milk boat Union (South Australia); graphic design for self-guided maritime tours of Rockhampton (Queensland); development of a touring and educational program based on Bass Strait (Tasmania); and the transcription of interviews for the Pullin’ the Pots oral history project about ‘cray culture’ in Port Denison (Western Australia).
Since 1995, more than $1.9 million has been provided to support over 460 projects and 60 internships. The next round of funding will open in February 2021.
