Supporting the ongoing preservation of Tasmania’s rich maritime history

TasPorts donates the 1904 edition of Philip's Mercantile Marine Atlas of the World to the Maritime Museum of Tasmania.

Posted

27 March 2023

TasPorts is a proud supporter of the preservation of Tasmania’s rich maritime history, including the work of the Maritime Museum of Tasmania, having announced a formal partnership with the Museum in 2021.

The Museum, centrally located overlooking the Port of Hobart, is open to the public and has close to 100 volunteers, operating the largest specialist maritime history library and archive in Tasmania.

One of the many fascinating items within the library’s collection is Philip’s Mercantile Marine Atlas of the World, which for many years was owned by TasPorts.

This book, published in 1904 by George Philip & Son, London, provides a captivating insight into what was once a functional atlas for the world’s mariners at a time when global maritime transport was at its peak.

The atlas contains a series of 30 plates with over 100 charts and plans, including tables showing 8,600 distances between ports, designed for use by merchant shippers, exporters, and ocean travellers.

This year, we were proud to have the opportunity to officially donate this book to the Museum for safekeeping so it can be properly cared for and shared with others.