In Nouméa, the Musée Maritime de Nouvelle-Calédonie continues to enrich its collections with unique items that bear witness to the great voyages of exploration, advances in shipbuilding, and tragic moments in local maritime history. These additions give visitors a better understanding of the evolution of boating in the Pacific region. Here are 10 artifacts you can discover at the museum.
James Cook's medal: a vestige of New Caledonian exploration
In 1774, during his second voyage to the South Seas, James Cook, the famous English navigator, made a stopover on an unknown land that he named New Caledonia. This discovery came after a journey that had taken him from Easter Island to the New Hebrides. To mark his passage, the British Admiralty presented Cook with several hundred medals bearing the effigy of King George III and the ships Resolution and Adventure. Some of these medals, struck in copper and precious metal, were found in the Pacific islands, notably Tahiti, and today form an integral part of the museum's collections.
The clinker boat: a testimony to New Caledonia's maritime heritage
This longboat, used by the steam tug Gouverneur Feillet in the late 19th century, is a precious testimony to shipbuilding know-how. Built with clins, a technique in which each plank (or planking) is laid in such a way as to slightly overlap the one underneath to reinforce the boat's structure, this boat was restored in 1996 by the heritage class of Nouméa's Magenta secondary school.
The grindstone: the ingenuity of La Pérouse's expeditions
The museum also houses objects linked to the La Pérouse expedition, including a flour mill that was part of the equipment on both expedition ships. Installed on board to ensure food preservation, the mills were essential to the nutritional well-being of the crew during their voyages. A rotating mechanism, operated by a crank and driven by windmill wings, could grind up to 200 kg of wheat a day.
The model of the John Pirie: a journey through the history of maritime trade
The addition of a model of the John Pirie, a British schooner built in 1827, also enriches the museum's collections. This ship, used to transport sandalwood, made several stopovers in New Caledonia, notably in 1847, before leaving with a precious cargo. The ship's model illustrates not only the naval architecture of the period, but also trade between Australia, New Caledonia and other regions of the Pacific.
The Roanoke Saffron: a unique and monumental piece
The museum's collection includes one of the world's largest wooden rudders, that of the Roanoke, an ore carrier wrecked in 1905. This monumental rudder, 14 meters high and weighing 3 tons, was found after the shipwreck in Kouakoué. It is one of the few pieces preserved from the wreck, and provides an insight into the history of the merchant navy in the early 20th century.
Monique's buoy: a reminder of New Caledonia's greatest maritime tragedy
Monique, a 34-meter coaster built in 1945 in Port Chalmers, New Zealand, was designed to transport supplies. The boat served as a link between Nouméa and the Loyalty Islands, transporting coffee, sugar and other necessities to the islands, as well as bringing back baskets of vegetables, pigs and other local produce. In 1953, Monique set sail again, heavily laden, from Maré to Nouméa, where she never arrived. The coaster, carrying 18 crew and 108 passengers, was never found. A tragic event that remains deeply etched in Caledonian memory. Monique's buoy is one of the few remaining objects from the sinking of the coaster. Recovered in 1953, it is a poignant testimony to the region's maritime history, and its exhibition provides an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of safety practices on board ships.
The optics of the Amédée lighthouse: a navigation legend
Another emblematic piece in the museum is the optic from the Amédée lighthouse, the second-highest lighthouse in the world. Installed in 1865, this superimposed glass optic was used for decades to guide boats around the reefs of New Caledonia. This lens, manufactured by the Société des Établissements Henry-Lepaute in Paris, is a spectacular example of the technological advances in maritime signage in the 19th century.
The gargoyles of the Amédée lighthouse: art and function at the top of the lighthouse
The museum also features a bronze gargoyle head, one of the 16 gargoyles that adorned the top of the Amédée lighthouse. These figures, designed to evacuate rainwater, are also marine decorative elements representing mythological or animal creatures.
The Seine's double steering wheel: a rare piece of nautical heritage
Another remarkable piece is the double steering wheel from the Royal Corvette The Seine wrecked in 1846 near Pouébo. This ship, assigned to a secret mission, was lost at sea at a time of tension between France and England. Found on the site of the wreck, the helm was restored by students from the Petro Attiti high school in Nouméa.
The Mercier sextant: a key to La Pérouse's identity
Finally, the Mercier sextant from the frigate La Boussole, found in 2005 on the wreck site at Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands, is another exceptional piece. This sextant, used to measure latitude and determine position at sea, was crucial in identifying the wreck of this ship once commanded by La Pérouse.
Collections and their educational impact
To help young visitors discover these 10 artifacts, and others in the collection, the Maritime Museum has been partnering with the Vice-Rectorat since 2009. A teacher, seconded by this organization, works with the museum team to develop educational materials for teachers and their students. These resources can be downloaded from the museum's website.
Tours are also available for school groups of all levels (primary, middle and high schools), focusing on the themes of the permanent exhibition. Each visit is tailored to the needs of the teachers, who can contact the museum guide to prepare their program in advance.
The rates are as follows:
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Guided tour: 4,000 CFP (including teacher), 350 CFP per accompanying adult
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Laboratory visit: 5,000 CFP
At the same time, the Service de recherche pédagogique, d'édition et d'ingénierie éducative (SRPEIE) of the Vice-Rectorate of New Caledonia, in collaboration with the educational units of the region's museums, has launched a series of short videos exploring the history of New Caledonia, based on local objects and archival documents. A dedicated page on the museum's website allows visitors to view the video vignettes in the series "Museum treasures tell our story", directed by Patrice Fesselier-Soerip.
