Maritime history enthusiasts gathered at the Museum of the Great Southern on Thursday evening for the launch of a special exhibition detailing the building of Albany’s most famous replica ship.

About 60 people attended the opening of the Early History of Boatbuilding around Albany and 50 years of Amity Replica exhibition.

The exhibition includes photographs of the four-man team who built the Brig Amity on Princess Royal Drive in 1976, the plans they were guided by and tools they used.

Two of these men, Rod Olsen and Pieter van der Brugge, were in attendance, as were two daughters of the late Stan Austin who masterminded the project.

Displayed through a number of rooms in the museum, the exhibition also showcases paintings and models of the Brig, as well as images and artefacts that depict the wider history of boatbuilding in the region.

Following speeches by exhibition curator Elly Spillekom and special projects manager Tim Eastwood was a performance by the Albany Shantymen of their piece The Amity, penned in tribute to the iconic boat.

The exhibition runs until July 31, 2026.