Queensland Maritime Museum was thrilled to host a visit from approximately 30 Kiribati seafarers on August 12, 2021.
These men have finished their contracts with shipping companies, and should be home on leave. However, due to Covid-19, they are stranded in Brisbane until Kiribati rolls out a vaccination program; and until a flight home can be organised (Kiribati is a very remote set of islands in the Pacific; usually accessible only by flights from Fiji).
The Mission to Seafarers and other maritime groups are working with Maritime Safety Queensland and the Department of Foreign Affairs to try to fully vaccinate all of the seafarers and get them home.
The men enjoyed their visit to QMM and HMAS Diamantina. The WW2 frigate actually took a Japanese surrender at Ocean Island in October 1945. Ocean Island is one of the Kiribati islands, now known as Banaba.
For more information about the Mission to Seafarers in Brisbane:
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Visit the Queensland Maritime Museum:
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Support QMM's fundraising appeal:
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