Proposal For Surf Museum To Revitalise Manly!
Image By Brian Dunphy
Proposal For Surf Museum to Revitalise Manly!
A proposal to convert the former Manly Sea Life Sanctuary aquarium into an international standard surf museum, has been submitted in a bid to generate tourism and enhance the local economy.
With state-of-the art virtual reality surfing machines, as well as surfboards, photographs and documents relating to the history and culture of surfboard riding in Australia, The Australian Museum of Surfing Heritage is set to breathe colour and life into an area rich in surfing history.
“The museum will be a source of knowledge, ideas, stories and memories. It will be developed and managed as a community resource to inspire, educate and inform the community and visitors and to be a focal point for the conservation of the history, heritage and culture of surfboard riding in Australia,” said Director, Brian Dunphy.
“The museum will be dedicated to preserving the past, participating in the present and influencing the future of all aspects of surfing culture,” Mr. Dunphy said.
The proposal, submitted to site owners Transport For NSW, would see a scaled down aquarium building, reduced to ground level, in a bid to enhance the view of the heritage listed Pavilion building and to open up the view of the harbour for residents on West Esplanade.
“The exterior of the building could be modelled on the Pavilion so that it complements the Pavilion, which has had alterations to its original façade,” Mr. Dunphy said.
Image By Brian Dunphy
As the first surf museum to be established in Sydney, The Museum of Australian Surfing Heritage would be a major drawcard for tourism in the area, providing welcome support for the local economy, which has been hampered by Covid-19, as well as an income for Transport for NSW.
According to Member for Manly, James Griffin, the Northern Beaches Council is working closely with the NSW Government to ensure the best possible outcome for the landmark site.
“The former Manly Aquarium site has been an important part of the Manly waterfront since it was purpose-built in the 1960s,” Mr. Griffin, said.
“We want to ensure the final outcome for the site considers Council’s plans for the area but is also the best result for both the local community and visitors to the area”.
According to Mr. Dunphy, when the Northern Beaches Council called for the community to have their say, there were 68 responses for the one proposal, which was to demolish the building.
Mr Dunphy suggests that there is under-utilised, open space in the area and states that “without a tourism drawcard, it will continue to be a dead spot”.
“The art gallery receives between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors per year, so it clearly is not drawing visitors to the western side of Manly Cove”.
Transport for NSW will make a decision on the future of the aquarium after considering all the submissions.
“Even if our proposal is not accepted by Transport for NSW we believe that Manly and the Northern Beaches would benefit greatly by the establishment of a surf museum here at the home of surfing in Australia and Council should support proposal” Mr Dunphy said.
Alison Phillips
