Putting the spotlight on the Gil Albutt Boat Shed

07/04/2025

The ceiling of a boat shed with pink lighting and boats hanging upside down and being lit up in blue.

Queenscliff locals can now host a wide range of events in the Gil Albutt Boat Shed, including weddings, curated talks and music events, following key upgrades to transform the boat shed into a function space.

Now featuring an audio-visual system and stage lighting and lighting attached to wooden boats on the ceiling – in a nod to its nautical roots – ready to shine on its existing stage, the boat shed is now primed for functions, thanks to support from the Tiny Towns Fund.

The Gil Albutt Boat Shed was built in the 1990s by a team of Queenscliffe Maritime Museum’s volunteers, led by Gil Albutt, a renowned local shipwright and musician.

Used for maritime talks, musical performances, and for building and repairing fishing boats and other wooden vessels, the boat shed was named after Gil Albutt after his passing.

Recently museum volunteers determined a fresh new face for the boat shed could bring it back to life and bring in income for the museum beyond donations.

‘The Gil Albutt Boat Shed refurbishment is such an important part of that journey, and it’s great to see it all set for live performances and events,’ President of Queenscliffe Maritime Museum, Kerri Erler said.

‘Since the boat shed’s upgrades, we’ve hosted several ‘Wakes’, the Queenscliff music and literary festivals and recently an event for International Women’s Day

The boat shed recently hosted, ‘Dress like a Pirate Day’, where volunteers told the swashbuckling fantasy of pirate, Benito Bonito, who was rumoured to have buried treasure in Queenscliff.

‘Just this summer, we also opened a Pirate Escape Room in the museum based around Benito Bonito in an old ship hull. It’s a real fun experience for families and other people,’ Kerri said.

‘It’s a way for us to attract people into the museum and to encourage people to enjoy things about the marine environment and learn a bit more of the heritage and the history of the maritime industry in Queenscliff.’

The Maritime Museum is looking to the future and hoping to work with the local community to bring even more of the area’s history to life, including with First Nations communities to shine a light on their connection to the sea and the coast.

‘Our aim is for the museum and boat shed to become great community assets,’ Kerri said.

‘The grant adds to our ability to do more things. It’s very much increasing the Museum’s ability to be a financially sustainable organisation.'

The Gil Albutt Boat Shed’s dramatic makeover is just a tiny part of our $45 million investment in regional Victoria.

We are also supporting projects in Victoria’s southwest to Montgomery Pavilion and Casterton Footy Club, to continue making regional Victoria a better place to live, work, stay and play.

To find out more visit the Tiny Towns Fund.