Ferry well renovations and public access.

The JBMM volunteers have been working hard cleaning, scrubbing and vacuuming years of inground dust from the floor of the ferry well. The walls have been painted white and two coats of floor concrete paint are being applied, This required a lot of object moving, some quite heavy, some that haven't been moved in almost 30 years.
One of the two old hardwood staircases which didn't comply with present-day building codes has been removed by the volunteers in preparation for two new sets to be installed. The second will be removed once the floor painting is finished.
All this work is being done to open the ferry well to the public for the first time since the museum was built almost 30 years ago. The view of the Lady Denman from underneath is nothing short of amazing,  you will see the real structure on the old vessel, the wear and tear from years of working on Sydney Harbour, the copper sheeting covered with barnacles and worm casings held in place with thousands of hand beaten copper nails,  this unique connection with the ferry will be a highlight for all future visitors to the museum.
The ferry well will also provide the museum with a fantastic opportunity for displaying some of its hidden treasures, currently stored away because of the lack of exhibition space.
If you thought you had seen it all at the JBMM, stay tuned, because in the near future a whole new exhibition area will be opened to amaze and transport you back to a past long gone.

Photos, Darrel Squires, volunteer.