It was 25 years ago on 1st February that Morten Hahn-Pedersen, former President of ICMM (2005 – 2009), became director of the Fisheries and Maritime Museum of Esbjerg, Denmark.

This milestone in his career was celebrated with a festive reception at the museum. Hundreds of colleagues from all over Denmark were present.

On behalf of the international maritime museum community, ICMM sent a congratulatory telegram which was read out at the reception.

The picture is of Morten speaking at the reception

Mary-Louise Williams who retired in 2012 as Director of the Australian National Maritime Museum and who served on the ICMM Executive Council and as Vice-President of ICMM has been made a Member (AM) in the Order of Australia in the 2013 Australia Day Honours List.

The purpose of the Order of Australia is to recognise, by way of a national honour, those who have made outstanding contributions that ultimately benefit the country.

Mary-Louise's work with ICMM, representing Australia, but also as one of the world's senior maritime museum ambassadors, contributed internationally as well as benefiting her own country.

Frits Loomeijer, President of ICMM, in congratulating Mary-Louise wrote "you have very good reasons to be proud and I can assure you, we are as well".

Europe sees them annually, but the last time a significant gathering of the world’s Tall Ships took place in Australia was to commemorate the nation’s bicentennial in 1988.

In 2013, Australia celebrates the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet arrival in Sydney Harbour (yes, you older countries, the RAN is that new!). Joining naval ships from around the world will be Dutch, British, Indonesian, Argentinian, Colombian, New Zealand and Australian Tall Ships, which will visit the far-flung Australian ports of Fremantle, Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney before racing to Auckland, New Zealand. See the ships that are coming here on YouTube.

Putting lists together which rate things, no matter what they are, is always a tricky business. Maritime Museums are no exception.

Eric Ruff, Curator Emeritus at Yarmouth County Museum, Nova Scotia, Canada came across a maritime museum rating published recently by the website Marine Insight.

Here’s their top ten:

1:  National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK

2:  Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, Australia

3:  San Diego Maritime Museum, USA

4:  Liverpool Maritime Museum, UK

5:  Vancouver Maritime Museum, Canada

6:  Michigan Maritime Museum, USA

7:  Maine Maritime Museum, USA

8:  Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum, Auckland, NZ

9:  Kobe Maritime Museum, Japan

10:  The Netherlands National Maritime Museum, Amsterdam

An interesting list?

Which maritime museums would you choose?

Here's an invitation to compile your own list of the Top 10 maritime museums in the world and share it with your colleagues online. But we would like to know the reasons for your choices, so add a brief note with each museum name, telling us why you have chosen it and how you have ranked it.

No prizes, but it will be interesting to see whether your choices vary significantly and whether geography plays a part.

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