Vision

To be an excellent, vibrant and innovative museum that benefits Townsville's community and that extends knowledge and awareness of the need to conserve and interpret North Queensland's maritime heritage, conserve the region’s marine environment, promote the region’s maritime industries and enhance the awareness of being safe on the water.

Mission

To conserve and promote the maritime heritage and environment of Townsville and North Queensland in its various historic and current forms and to present and interpret collections of historic and contemporary objects and information for the enlightenment of, enjoyment of and appreciation by all patrons, sponsors and visitors.

Board of Directors

In 2015 a new not-for-profit company, known as Townsville Maritime Museum Limited with a board of directors, came into being. Established for the purpose of ensuring the ongoing viability and financial sustainability of the Museum, this company took over the ownership and management of the Museum from the Townsville Maritime Historical Society on 1 July that year. It continues operating the Museum under its former name, Maritime Museum of Townsville.

The profiles of the Directors can be viewed below.

Mr David Sibley, Board Director

David has worked across financial and corporate management within government, profit and non-for-profit entities. He has been responsible for formulating and implementing long term strategic, operational and financial plans, commercialising government service units and improving bottom line results in both non-profit and for-profit entities.

He has extensive experience in change management and has held positions of Manager Financial Services at POTL and has acted in other senior executive positions for the past six years.

David holds a Bachelor of Commerce from James Cook University and is a Certified Practicing Accountant.

David is currently the General Manager Strategy, Finance and Governance at the Port of Townsville.

Mr Drew Penny, Board Director

Appointed as General Manager of Operations at the Port of Townsville in April 2018 and then to Chief Operating Officer in October 2019, Drew Penny brings a wealth of operational and leadership experience gained over 15 years in the mining industry. His management experience covers various areas including operations and logistics, maintenance, projects, organisational change and commercial. Drew believes in building collaborative relationships, driving process discipline and delivering safe successful outcomes.

Drew holds a Bachelor or Engineering - Mechatronics (Hons) from James Cook University.

He is currently the General Manager Customer, Operations and Safety at the Port of Townsville.

Dr Robert de Jong, Managing Curator

Born in Haarlem, The Netherlands, Robert immigrated with his parents to South Africa in 1962. He studied at the University of Pretoria and was conferred a PhD in Cultural History in 1990. He also completed a Post-Graduate Diploma in Museum Studies in 1979.

From 1983 till 2005, Robert was employed as a museum professional by provincial and national museum organisations in South Africa, ending his museum career in this country as Manager of the Tswaing Meteorite Crater, a 3,000-hectare conservation area north of Pretoria featuring a 200,000-year old meteorite impact crater of international geological and environmental significance, .

In 2005 he became a full-time heritage consultant running his own business, specialising in heritage impact studies, heritage management planning and heritage training with numerous projects in South Africa and Mauritius.

After immigrating to Townsville in 2011, Robert was employed at the Museum of Tropical Queensland as Project Officer and thereafter at the then Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection as Heritage Officer. After working full-time as heritage consultant in 2015, he became Curator of the Maritime Museum of Townsville in February 2016. In May 2018, he became Managing Museum Curator.

Robert has extensive experience in all aspects of museum management, such as collections management, conservation, exhibitions, education programs, community engagement, security, human resources management, training, strategic planning and research.

Download our Forward Plan 2019-2022