Titanic: the Exhibition opens in Perth for only Australian stop

An exhibition combining life-size replicas of parts of the Titanic with historical objects from the time has landed at the Perth Convention Centre.

Titanic exhibition comes to Perth. Image by Michael / CC BY 2.0

The Western Australian capital is the only Australian stop on the Titanic: the Exhibition world tour, with thousands expected to attend the exhibition. Created by Imagine Exhibitions, who curate themed exhibitions for museums and galleries around the world, Titanic: the Exhibition includes hundreds of artefacts from the early 20^th century, though none of them come from the sunken ocean liner itself. Artefacts are displayed alongside re-creations of the ship’s interiors, including the grand staircase, boiler room, drawing rooms and sun deck. Props from James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster film, Titanic, are also featured, including the fictional Heart of the Ocean necklace worn by Kate Winslet’s character.

Perth Convention Centre. Image by Michael_Spencer / CC BY 2.0

Imagine Exhibitions chief executive Tom Zaller said the exhibition is designed to evoke the Titanic before it struck an iceberg on April 15, 1912, killing 1500 of the estimated 2210 people on board. Visitors to the exhibition will receive a ticket bearing the details of an actual Titanic passenger or crew member, whose story they will follow throughout the exhibition. In an effort to immerse people in the experience, visitors enter the exhibition via a gangplank, walk through the first-class cabins, then continue through the rest of the re-created ship before exiting on the deck.

Mr Zaller believes the enduring appeal of the tragedy lies in it being essentially a human story: “We all have hopes and dreams and sometimes things don’t go the way you plan… The movie didn’t hurt either, people loved the movie.”

Titanic: the Exhibition runs at the Perth Convention Centre until 9 February.