John Oxley is the last remaining coastal steamship in Australian waters. Before rail and road networks were built, we relied on many ships like this to carry passengers and cargo around the Australian coast.

This vessel was built for the Queensland Harbours and Marine Board. John Oxley steamed out from Scotland to Australia under her own power and served as a pilot steamer for Brisbane and as a buoy and lighthouse tender along the Queensland coast. 43 years later, a donated John Oxley steamed down the coast with a crew of volunteers from Brisbane to Sydney to start a new life as a museum ship.

Significant features of this important vessel are the traditional forecastle, well deck, cargo hold, navigation bridge amidships, and accommodation aft. The steam propulsion plant includes the triple expansion main engine and auxiliary machinery. Steam is supplied from two scotch boilers, which originally burned coal, however, conversion to burn heavy fuel oil took place in 1946.