While most of the 220,000 people attending the biennial MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival will marvel at the intrinsic beauty of the timbers used in, and the loving craftsmanship that is lavished on, the hundreds of wooden boats displayed, there is another component of the festival where these same attributes are also in abundance, but on a miniature scale.
The Model Boat display always attracts a vast array of beautiful boats, mostly built to scale, representing all types of nautical activities from naval vessels, sailboats, cargo ships and ships sailed by explorers with significant historical appeal.
Model boats have been around for centuries. For example, the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun (1337-1347 BC) contained 35 model boats, most likely placed there for his use in the afterlife. Around 4000 BC the sailing ship was both an essential tool of Egyptian trade and economy and was also used in burial ceremonies. There is a model housed in the Egyptian Museum thought to represent the ships used during this era.
Other historic reasons for building models ranged from their use as children’s toys to providing visual guidance for the construction of the ‘real thing’.
Builders and owners of model boats now have the opportunity to show-off their treasures at the Model Boat display as part of the 2019 MyState Australian Wooden Boat Festival. There is no cost to enter model boats, although depending on space there may be a limit to the numbers able to be accepted.
Registrations are now open with model boat owners invited to register at www.australianwoodenboatfestival.com.au/registration/
