Hastings Museum

Did the old Armstrong gun at the Hastings Museum ever fire a shot in anger? We’re standing right here at the corner of Marine Parade and Skinner Street, before the Hastings Museum. It’s housed in a charming weatherboard cottage from around 1900. This isn’t just any museum. It’s a portal to the past, curated by the Hastings-Western Port Historical Society. They’re the keepers of the stories, the protectors of the memories that make Hastings what it is today. The Hastings Museum’s collection isn’t just dusty relics. It’s a vibrant tapestry woven with local memorabilia, from everyday objects to extraordinary artifacts. One of the most impressive pieces is that 1864 Armstrong gun, proudly displayed. It’s a rifled breech-loading 40-pounder, a formidable weapon from a bygone era, a testament to the town’s early defense force, nicknamed the “Ham & Beef” Battery. Imagine the echoes of its roar, if it ever did roar. The museum also houses a treasure: a fully restored square sterner fishing boat named the Johanna. Think of the tales this boat could tell, of journeys across the waters, of nets cast and fish hauled aboard under the Western Port sun. Surrounding the museum are gardens as unique as the collection inside. A whimsical fairy garden to the north sparks the imagination. A Remembrance Garden of Peace, adorned with pink roses and delicate apple blossoms in spring, offers a quiet moment of reflection. Out back, old-fashioned flowers bloom, hellebores and violets mingling with jonquils and irises. A lucerne tree stands sentinel, its branches reaching towards the sky. And then there’s Harry’s House Rose Garden, where the perfumed yellow ‘Friesia’ roses fill the air with their sweet fragrance. The Hastings Museum is more than just a building. It’s a living testament to the spirit of this town. It’s a place where the past whispers its secrets and the present connects with its roots.