July
July brought maritime stories, major exhibitions and shared reflection on Menang knowledge, history and Albany’s coastal identity.
Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country
Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country opened at the Museum of the Great Southern on 4 July, bringing together historical collections and contemporary cultural material from Albany, Australia and overseas.
Developed through collaboration between members of the Menang Noongar community, Deakin University and the Western Australian Museum, the exhibition explores how Menang knowledge helped early European settlers understand the region. At its centre is Robert Neill’s collection of watercolours, portraits and cultural material, returned to the Country where it was created almost two centuries ago.
The following day, a community symposium at Albany Town Hall brought Menang community members, researchers, historians and curators together to share the stories and relationships behind the exhibition. Speakers reflected on working with historical collections in ways that recognise Aboriginal knowledge systems, cultural authority and the Menang community’s ongoing custodianship.
Remaining open until 21 February 2027, Kalyagul ensures these important stories and collections remain accessible during and beyond the bicentenary year.
Presented by Western Australian Museum and Deakin University, and supported by the City of Albany and Lotterywest as part of the Albany 2026 program. Additionally supported Foundation for the WA Museum and Metal Manufactures Electrical Merchandising.
Maritime Festival
Throughout July, the City of Albany’s annual Maritime Festival brought Albany’s coastal identity to life through a month-long program of arts, culture, food, history and family activities.
The festival began at the Albany Boatshed with Foreshore Friday and All at Sea Saturday, featuring live music, maritime displays, sailing experiences, creative activities and an aquatic touch pool. Across the month, the Maritime Menu Map showcased themed offerings from local venues, while families explored the popular Treasure Trail.
The Maritime Art Exhibition opened at the Vancouver Arts Centre, showcasing maritime-inspired works across a variety of mediums.
Lois Drygan received the overall award for Treasure Hunt, a clay and paper sculpture. Highly commended honours were awarded to Suzanne De Landgrafft Moore for Perfect Beach Day, Liz Turnbull for Just Below the Surface, Terence Podmore for Christmas Day 1826, and Glenn Hegedus for Liminal. Together, the works explored the beauty, power and stories of the sea, highlighting the creativity of artists from across the community.
The wider program included maritime films, performances, talks, workshops and exhibitions across Albany Town Hall, the Museum of the Great Southern, Albany’s Historic Whaling Station, Albany Public Library, Vancouver Arts Centre and the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre. From folk music and sea shanties to local history and hands-on experiences, the festival offered many ways to explore Albany’s enduring relationship with the sea.
Foreshore Friday Image Recap
All at Sea Saturday Image Recap
Maritime Art Exhibition
Erin Coates’ The Boneyard
Artist Erin Coates presented The Boneyard at Albany’s Historic Whaling Station from 3 July to 30 August, following an artist residency at the site.
Developed through Coates’ personal connection to Kinjarling / Albany and her family’s history as shell divers, the ambitious project responded to the Whaling Station’s archives and the submerged bone piles left by decades of commercial whaling.
Through haunting imagery, sculptural forms, underwater film and large-scale installation works, The Boneyard intertwined personal family stories with Western Australia’s whaling history and the complex relationship between humans and animals. Works were displayed within the Historic Whaling Station gallery and below the flensing deck, creating a powerful reflection on memory, extinction and regeneration. Coates also led a series of graphite drawing workshops, inviting participants to engage more closely with the exhibition’s themes and creative processes.
Presented by Albany's Historic Whaling Station, and supported by the City of Albany as part of the Albany 2026 program.
Refurbished Convoy Walk signage
Visitors to Albany Heritage Park could experience the stories of the First World War through 21 refurbished interpretive signs along the Convoy Walk.
Renewed through a partnership between Wesfarmers and the City of Albany, the signs trace the route from the National Anzac Centre precinct to the Convoy Lookout at the summit of Irrerup / Mount Adelaide. Along the way, they share the history of the First and Second Convoys and the ships, servicemen and women connected to them.
The walk culminates at the Convoy Lookout, overlooking King George Sound, where Australian and New Zealand troops gathered aboard ships before departing for the First World War. The refreshed signage will help preserve these stories and share them with future generations.
July featured Events
Throughout July 2026, the Albany Maritime Festival brought the city’s coastal stories and seafaring heritage to life through a diverse month-long program.
Presented at Albany’s Historic Whaling Station, Cats & Dogs: All at Sea explored the little-known lives of animals aboard seafaring vessels.
The Albany Maritime Art Exhibition returned to the Vancouver Arts Centre as part of the 2026 Maritime Festival, showcasing maritime-inspired works by local and regional artists.
Developed through a year-long residency at Albany’s Historic Whaling Station, Erin Coates’ The Boneyard examined the intertwined histories of people, animals and commercial whaling in Western Australia.
Foreshore Friday opened the Maritime Festival with an evening of live music and atmosphere at the Albany Boatshed.
All At Sea Saturday transformed the Albany Boatshed into a lively waterfront hub of maritime activities, entertainment and family fun.
This landmark exhibition celebrates Menang people's profound connections to the land, sea and skies of Albany and their crucial role in shaping how the region’s natural world was explored and understood.
The Kalyagul symposium brought the Albany community together with Menang Elders, knowledge-holders, researchers and museum practitioners to explore the relationships and collaborative work behind Kalyagul: Connections to Menang Country.
Australian Baroque joined the Albany Chamber Orchestra to present the world premiere of The Six Noongar Seasons, a new cycle of concertos by acclaimed Noongar composer and violist Aaron Wyatt, featuring original poetry by Gina Williams AM.
The 2026 Albany International Folk ’n’ Shanty Festival brought three days of maritime music, Irish spirit and lively entertainment to venues across the city.
Nicola Edwards shared the remarkable story of her participation in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, an 11-month circumnavigation covering almost 42,000 nautical miles.
Albany Light Opera and Theatre Company marked more than six decades of local theatre with Through the Curtains, a weekend of music, memories and storytelling.