Western Australia · Attraction
Museum of Geraldton
Dutch shipwrecks and deep time
schedule 1 min read / Updated Jun 2026
Sitting beside the Batavia Coast Marina, the Museum of Geraldton holds one of the finest collections of 17th-century shipwreck artefacts anywhere in the world. Its Shipwrecks Gallery brings to life four fateful Dutch East India Company voyages, while other galleries explore the deep cultural heritage of the Yamaji people and the natural history of the midwest coast.
The centrepiece of the museum is the original stone portico salvaged from the Batavia, the Dutch VOC vessel that wrecked on Morning Reef in the Houtman Abrolhos on 4 June 1629. Of the 341 people who sailed from Texel, around 125 were murdered during one of the most horrific mutinies in maritime history. Alongside the portico, the gallery displays cannons, silver coins, and artefacts from the Batavia, Gilt Dragon, Zuytdorp, and Zeewijk wrecks.
An audio tunnel and gangway entrance set the mood before visitors come face to face with the stone portico, a dramatic curatorial choice that has earned the museum international recognition. Guided highlights tours of the Shipwrecks Gallery run daily at 11:30am at no extra cost.
General admission is free, with a suggested donation of five dollars. The museum opens daily from 9:30am to 3pm but is closed on major public holidays. The building is fully accessible.
Scenic views
Lookouts near Museum of Geraldton.
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