Maritime museum for Lüderitz
The maritime museum will be housed in the Lüderitz Waterfront development, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar upgrade.
Lüderitz will be home to the biggest and most unique maritime museum in Africa, Lüderitz Waterfront Development Company (LWDC) chairperson Angel Tordesillas has said.
The museum is expected to be completed in 2019.
In a spirited and passionate presentation to former president Sam Nujoma and other stakeholders at the harbour town on Saturday, Tordesillas said the museum would attract thousands of visitors.
It will also serve as a research base for academics from Namibia and South Africa and will complement the maritime work of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).
NUST and the museum will be in the same multi-purpose building, the old power station, currently being renovated at a cost of N$300 million under phase two of projects implemented by the LWDC.
The building faces the sea and will have a jetty, theme park, indoor swimming pool, sports centre and restaurants.
A smaller version of the museum is at the moment elsewhere at Lüderitz near the harbour.
It was established about five years ago by Tordesillas and his family, who are passionate about the ocean.
All collections so far are his own and include historic and modern made-to-scale ships, unique shells, maps, globes, books and navigation equipment used on ships long ago.
He has one shell that weighs 75kg that will be displayed at the extended museum.
Tordesillas, founder and retired head of the NovaNam fishing company, said the purpose of the museum was to promote the culture of the sea and to instil a sense of awe, passion and respect in children.
“Most Namibians unfortunately live with their backs to the sea. We want youth to live in partnership with the sea,” he said.
All economic activities along the Namibian coastline, including Oranjemund and Walvis Bay, will also be reflected.
The pillars of the museum are ocean fishing, trading and mining.
Other areas of display will be the history of guano and seaweed collection, whaling, deep-sea mining, animal life, the Skeleton Coast and the Benguela Current.
NAMPA
The museum is expected to be completed in 2019.
In a spirited and passionate presentation to former president Sam Nujoma and other stakeholders at the harbour town on Saturday, Tordesillas said the museum would attract thousands of visitors.
It will also serve as a research base for academics from Namibia and South Africa and will complement the maritime work of the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).
NUST and the museum will be in the same multi-purpose building, the old power station, currently being renovated at a cost of N$300 million under phase two of projects implemented by the LWDC.
The building faces the sea and will have a jetty, theme park, indoor swimming pool, sports centre and restaurants.
A smaller version of the museum is at the moment elsewhere at Lüderitz near the harbour.
It was established about five years ago by Tordesillas and his family, who are passionate about the ocean.
All collections so far are his own and include historic and modern made-to-scale ships, unique shells, maps, globes, books and navigation equipment used on ships long ago.
He has one shell that weighs 75kg that will be displayed at the extended museum.
Tordesillas, founder and retired head of the NovaNam fishing company, said the purpose of the museum was to promote the culture of the sea and to instil a sense of awe, passion and respect in children.
“Most Namibians unfortunately live with their backs to the sea. We want youth to live in partnership with the sea,” he said.
All economic activities along the Namibian coastline, including Oranjemund and Walvis Bay, will also be reflected.
The pillars of the museum are ocean fishing, trading and mining.
Other areas of display will be the history of guano and seaweed collection, whaling, deep-sea mining, animal life, the Skeleton Coast and the Benguela Current.
NAMPA
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