Flotilla to “Save Our Ships” as Docklands rallies for heritage fleet

Docklands will turn into a floating protest stage on Sunday, December 7, as supporters of Melbourne’s threatened maritime heritage fleet stage a major “Save Our Ships” day of action on Victoria Harbour.

Organisers are calling on local residents, boat owners and visitors from across Melbourne to join a flotilla of vessels and a shore-side carnival in a bid to convince the state government to keep the fleet in Docklands, rather than evict it from North Wharf with no viable home to go to.

The protest will run from 10am to 6pm, with the main on-water spectacle between 11am and 1pm. The best vantage point will be Harbour Esplanade near the Cow up a Tree sculpture, next to Port Phillip Ferries, where organisers are planning music, performances and family-friendly activities to match the display on the water.

At the heart of the campaign are three much-loved vessels that make up the Docklands-based Melbourne Heritage Fleet:

Alma Doepel – a 1903 Australian-built wooden tall ship, the last of her kind, long associated with Melbourne’s jam trade and now almost fully restored to resume youth sail training.

Enterprize – the operational replica of the schooner that brought European settlers from Tasmania to Melbourne in 1835, running day sails, longer voyages and Rotary-sponsored youth training.

Steam tug Wattle – built in 1932 for the Royal Australian Navy and later a popular tourist vessel, now under restoration at Shed 2 in Docklands. A plaque to the Wattle sits on the steps of Melbourne Town Hall.

The fleet has occupied its temporary base at Goods Shed No. 2 on North Wharf Road since 2010. Operators say they came to Docklands 15 years ago on the understanding that a permanent home would eventually be secured as the precinct developed.

“We were invited to come to Docklands with a promise of facilities and a future home once the temporary tenure was up. Well, we came – and here we are, with nowhere to go,” organisers said. They have received notice to vacate by January 2026 and are already facing road closures and restricted access to their site.

With time running out, the Day of Protest is designed to show the state government and Development Victoria the strength of community support for a permanent maritime heritage precinct in Docklands, rather than a forced move out of the area.

“We are asking the Docklands community to stand with us and call for a suitable home to be found in Docklands,” organisers said. “The community is promised amenity – and the Melbourne Heritage Fleet delivers activation, visitation and youth programs that bring Victoria Harbour to life.”

The event will echo the success of the 2016 Melbourne Regatta and Blessing of the Fleet, when more than 5000 visitors watched the late Father Bob Maguire bless heritage, commercial and private vessels in Victoria Harbour.

Organisers say they are aiming to recreate that sense of spectacle and pride on December 7, with a flotilla of boats circling the harbour and a “noisy” show of solidarity from the shore.

To build that atmosphere, they are seeking pipers, buskers and community volunteers to help promote the event in the days leading up to the Day of Protest, as well as boat owners willing to register their vessels to join the flotilla.

Details and vessel registrations are available at savetheheritagefleet.com

The campaign has also reached Spring St. State MP for Melbourne Ellen Sandell raised the issue in Parliament during the last sitting week, calling on the Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts to stop the eviction.

“Victoria’s heritage fleet in Docklands is an invaluable community asset,” she told the chamber, outlining the Alma Doepel, Enterprize and steam tug Wattle’s historic roles and youth training programs.

Ms Sandell said the fleet now faced “an existential crisis” after being given notice to vacate to make way for private development, with no affordable, operationally viable home available until at least mid-2026.

“Labor cannot evict this fleet. It’s an important part of Melbourne’s history and it’s time for the Minister to step in,” she said.

For organisers, Sunday, December 7 is about making that message impossible to ignore.

“Victoria Harbour is the perfect arena for a regatta,” they said. “Surrounded by apartments and promenades, thousands of people can look down and see what’s at stake. These aren’t just old ships – they’re living pieces of Melbourne.”