Welcome to the award-winning
MyState Bank Australian Wooden Boat Festival
An exciting celebration of our nation’s rich maritime culture and one of the world’s most anticipated maritime events.
Major Attractions
International, national and local boats, exhibits and guests. And it's free!
News & Updates
Letter From the Chairman – October 2018
At one of our first festivals when my children were much younger, I was standing with them at Franklin Wharf, looking across the docks. Some of their young cousins were also present. We were admiring the magnificent barque James Craig, and the beautiful replica Bark Endeavour, both of which were lying alongside Princess Wharf. “Those ships” […]
GM’s Log – October 2018
It’s great to see a swell of support coming in late (this is Tasmania, after all, and we do tend to sprint towards the finish) with many boat owners putting their applications in for Boats Afloat, with less than two weeks to go now before the cut-off date. The selection panel has been impressed with […]
Sawdust and Nappies by Sarah Thornton
This charming story and these wonderful pictures came to us in the process of registering The Dinghy, a 12-foot Fazackerley design, for Boats Ashore in the MyState Bank Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019. Author Sarah Thornton kindly allowed us to edit it for newsletter length as well as providing the heirloom family photographs to illustrate […]
TasPorts in the Spotlight
It all started with a simple request: “Can we borrow Constitution Dock?” The Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) got started back in 1994 with a simple request to TasPorts’ Harbourmaster: “Can we borrow Constitution Dock for a social weekend for wooden boat enthusiasts?” The Harbourmaster thought it over for a few minutes and replied: “Yes, […]
The Rotary ‘Vanessa G’ Project
HOWRAH Rotary Club and Risdon Prison are working together to restore a wooden boat in preparation for the Australian Wooden Boat Festival 2019. The project will see a wooden dinghy restored by inmates at the Risdon Prison. With a little help from the MyState Bank Australian Wooden Boat Festival, Howrah Rotary sourced a dinghy suitable […]
Naming Rights Sponsor
MyState Bank is the first naming rights sponsor of the Australian Wooden Boat Festival. MyState is a long-standing supporter of the Tasmanian community and the company’s sponsorship of the festival is a testament to its great commercial and cultural value.
Principal Sponsor
Events Tasmania’s Major Event Partnerships Program provides funding to significant events that return substantial economic outcomes for our state. Events in this category play a big part in supporting Tasmania’s visitor economy.