- Published:
- Monday 18 December 2023
TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition will open tomorrow at Melbourne Museum in an Australian exclusive that is set to attract thousands of visitors, backed by the Allan Labor Government.
Running until 14 April 2024, the exhibition features more than 200 artefacts salvaged from the sea floor alongside recreated ship interiors including the Grand Staircase, First Class Parlour Suite and Verandah Café.
The exhibition has been seen by more than 30 million people worldwide, coming to Melbourne off the back of a sold-out season in Paris. Its 2010 run in Melbourne previously attracted more than 465,000 attendees.
More than 110 years since the tragedy, audiences are still drawn to the Titanic and the personal stories of loss that continue to educate and captivate audiences.
These stories include Australians such as stewardess Evelyn Marsden, who helped row her lifeboat to safety and engineer Arthur McRae, whose legacy lives on through a Mornington Peninsula suburb named in his honour.
The artefacts – which include an unopened bottle of champagne with a 1900 vintage, luggage, china, jewellery, and a window frame from the Verandah Cafe – were recovered from four kilometres below the surface of the North Atlantic Sea by RMS Titanic, Inc. the only company authorised to recover artefacts from the site.
All exhibition visitors will receive a boarding pass to step on board where they’ll discover a touchable iceberg that mimics the night’s water temperature, dig through artefacts and hear personal stories of the ship’s passengers and crew.
Each element of the exhibit will take visitors on a journey through the events that unfolded on the night.
This exhibition joins Melbourne’s blockbuster summer of events alongside the Australian exclusive season of Groundhog Day The Musical, NGV Triennial, BBC Earth Experience, the Boxing Day Test and Australian Open.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos
“We’re proud to support TITANIC: The Artefact Exhibition through Visit Victoria and look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors over summer and the school holidays.”
“This globally renowned exhibition will captivate audiences with authentic artefacts and personal stories from the Titanic, which continues to capture hearts and minds more than 100 after years its tragic end.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks
“The Titanic has long fascinated the world, and this exhibition brings to life some of the most interesting stories about those of local people connected to the ship.”
“This blockbuster exhibition adds to the stellar line up of creative events on offer in Victoria over the summer months."