The Edwin Fox Maritime Museum in Picton has launched a new website in time for the busy summer visitor season.

Owned by Council and supported by the Edwin Fox Preservation Trust, which helps fund the preservation of the historic ship, the Edwin Fox is a nineteenth-century sailing ship that carried people and goods around the globe.

Manager Heritage Marlborough Liz Ward said it was fitting that the vessel was labelled ‘the last of her kind.’

“She truly is a remnant of the past. From her first ocean voyage in 1853, the Edwin Fox circled the globe as an agent of change and connection. She is one of a kind, a living link to our seafaring past.

“The new website reflects the importance of the ship to New Zealand. As we embark on our new stage of preservation, the website will be the hub for information about this project and give visitors a taste of what they will see when visiting,” Liz said.

People wanting to see the ship and maritime museum can book online as well as donate towards its preservation and join the ship’s new membership scheme at www.edwinfox.nz

“We are delighted to announce the launch of the new membership programme, Friends of the Fox, offered in partnership with the Edwin Fox Preservation Trust. This means that 100 per cent of the subscription goes directly towards preserving the ship,” Liz said.

Friends of the Fox will enjoy discounts off shop merchandise, unlimited entry to the museum for the membership year, discounts on special events and talks, and early access to news and research.

Liz said the team would love to see more locals as well as tourists visiting the museum’s home on Picton’s waterfront this summer.

“Come see us, bring a friend or a visiting family member and learn more about how this historic vessel came to rest here and explore her incredible legacy.”

The Edwin Fox’s summer opening hours from 1 October to 30 April are 9am to 5pm. Winter hours from 1 May to 30 September are 9am to 3pm. The museum also has a gold coin day on Marlborough Anniversary.

Note:

The Edwin Fox transported troops during the Crimean War, carried convicts to Australia, and brought immigrants to New Zealand. Later, she became a pioneering refrigeration ship, playing a crucial role in New Zealand’s meat export industry. After decades as a coal hulk at the Picton freezing works, she was saved from destruction in 1965 and eventually returned to the Picton waterfront in 1986. Her final journey was in 1999, when she was carefully placed in her current dry dock at Dunbar Wharf, Picton Foreshore.

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