Ahoy! Welcome the Australian National Maritime Museum to The Commons!

Unidentified crowd at Circular Quay welcoming home the crew of the HMAS Sydney

William Hughes, RAN Captain John Augustine Collins, unidentified RAN Lieutenant Commander, unidentified RAN officer, RN Lieutenant Commander Clive Montgomery, RAN Lieutenant Commander Michael Morgan Singer at the presentation ceremony of HMAS Sydney

The Commons welcomes aboard the Australian National Maritime Museum!

We’re thrilled to have them join us on our voyage into the digital past and couldn’t say it better than they do:

Australians have always enjoyed a close link to the sea – for sport, play, exploration, defence, industry and adventure.

They set sail with a plethora of sets, ranging from shipwrecks to aerial views to families at sea and paintings, sketches and postcards. Many of the photos are from the wonderful studio of Sam Hood, famed Sydney photographer, whose photos you might be familiar with if you’re already a Commons fan. We hope you enjoy their collection.

Unidentified United States naval crewman of the USS Milwaukee III   Unidentified merchant marine crew member on TSS Suevic   Crew member wearing uniform of General Baquedano, Chilean Army

Unidentified group of men, women and children, possibly from the Dutch ship, Van Rees

SS MINMI wreck at Cape Banks

Arrival of the American warship USS Astoria into Farm Cove, Sydney Harbour. Sydney Harbour Bridge in background

Image of a painting of the four masted barque Dundonald at sea

The Commons exists to show you hidden treasures in the world’s public photography archives and how your input and knowledge can help make these collections even richer. You’re invited to help describe the photographs you discover in The Commons on Flickr, either by adding tags or leaving comments.

Photos from the Australian National Maritime Museum.