MV Cape Don was built at the State Dockyards in Newcastle, NSW. Completed in January 1963. She was one of a unique “Cape” class of ships that were purpose-built to service the important shipping and trade lanes around Australia’s vast coastline.

The Conservation work onboard the ship is carried out by crew of volunteer members of the MV Cape Don Society which is managed by the Sea Heritage Foundation Board of Governors.

The ship is undergoing a staged 10-year strategic plan to dry dock the ship, diversify her income, create training and employment pathways for Indigenous Australians, and then develop, run and expand on a range of arts, culture and community engagement programs onboard the vessel.

The ship provides a window to the past as one of the last surviving examples of Australian-designed and built ships from the 1960s and the critical work the Commonwealth Lighthouse Service undertook to ensure safe passage for shipping around Australia’s coastline, keeping our economy moving.

Come onboard and experience the ship, learn about her working life and the characters who kept her going for 27 years when in Government service, her life after being sold to a private business including the Hollywood movies she has been a part of and how she ended up becoming a part of the Sea Heritage Foundation.

The ship has an exciting future as a new living, working training ship. The Foundation’s vital work to reinvigorate the shipbuilding industry with young Australians and our leading Indigenous maritime operations certificate 1 program providing opportunity and employment pathways for Indigenous Australians wanting to work in the maritime sector in partnership with The Prince’s Trust Australia and TAFE NSW.