Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition

Editorial

Where: Melbourne Museum
When: 14 May-17 October 2010
Tickets: (Includes entry into Titanic Exhibition and Melbourne Museum):
Adult $24, Child $16; Concession $18, Family (2 adults 2 Children) $66 from Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition

On 15 April 15 1912, the world's largest ship sank on its maiden voyage. The Titanic hit an iceberg and within three hours it sank to the bottom of the ocean 963 miles northeast of its destination, New York. It wasn't until 1985 that the wreck of the Titanic was discovered 2.5 miles beneath the ocean surface. Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition centres on a large number of items that have been retrieved from the wreck in recent years. The exhibition will bring to life the story of the unsinkable ship and the 1500 lives that were lost.

Using 280 artefacts the exhibition tells the many stories of those onboard. Visitors will be able to see exact recreations of the ships interior alongside objects retrieved from the ocean floor. I was lucky enough to see the exhibition in Greenwich in 1995 and to see perfume bottles, white china and even a piece of the hull was amazing. These items, lying silent for many years, are now able to be seen close up in Melbourne.

The exhibition will provide each visitor with a replica boarding pass of an actual passenger, helping them to step back to 1912. Visitors can journey through the life of the Titanic, from construction in the Belfast docks to life on board, the sinking and the efforts to recover artefacts. There will be a full size reconstruction of the Grand Staircase and many stories of heroism and humanity that have been told in movies and books.

There is even a focus on how Melbourne reacted to the story of the Titanic and its tragic sinking.

Over 22 million people have seen this exhibition as it has travelled the world. I am sure each of them, like I did, have been left with powerful memories of what they saw first hand. Just finding the Titanic was a mammoth task, bringing to the surface fragile cups, bottles and even a toothpaste jar will amaze visitors.

If you thought you knew everything there was to know about the Titanic, think again. This exhibition is bound to be a success and Citysearch recommends booking tickets early to avoid the queues. Tickets are on sale 15 April, 98 years to the fateful day that the Titanic sank.

Quick Titanic facts:
The Titanic was 268.98 m long, Melbourne's Rialto is 252 m high;
60 chefs and chefs' assistants worked in the Titanic's five kitchens;
The Titanic had its own newspaper, The Atlantic Daily Bulletin;
Onboard was one Renault 35hp car owned by a passenger, William Carter;
The forth funnel on Titanic was fake.

David Egan, Citysearch