Home    Port Natal Maritime Museum

Back to: Activities, Things to do and What to visit

Port Natal Maritime Museum
AddressMaritime Place (Wilson's Wharf at Victoria Embankment Road), Durban
Telephone031 311 2230
Visiting HoursMon - Sat 8h30 - 16h00
Sundays and Public Holidays 11h00 - 16h00
Closed on Christmas Day and Good Friday
(ENTRANCE FEE PAYABLE)
About Durban harbour is the centre of the city's economy, the largest harbour in Africa and a centre of trade for the African continent.
Settlement around the bay is ancient.
In 1824 the first group of Bitish hunters and traders formed a permanent outpost here.
Backed by a panoramic view of the bay, the Port Natal Museum offers an insight into the influence that maritime culture has had on local history.
The three main vessels at the museum allow for hours of exploration.
Wander through the galleys, living qurters and engine rooms that still buzz with everyday workings of maritime life.
The Ulundi is the oldest surviving pilot tug in a South African harbour and was built in 1927
JR Moore arrived in Durban 8 May 1961, and is one of the last remaining of her kind in the world.
An oil burning steam tug, she features twin rudders for added manoeuvrability.
SAS Durban is the third multi-ton vessel at the Port Natal Museum.
A coniston class minesweeper, she was built in 1957 for the South African Navy.
The museum also feature a number of smaller vessel and maritime collctables, including Chinese porcelain from a Portugese ship the Sao Bento wrecked on 21 April 1554 off the Transkei coast.


Terms and Conditions