Queensland Maritime Museum

The HMAS Diamantina is a World War II River Class frigate sitting in dry dock by the river in South Bank parklands. If you stand on the quarterdeck, you'll be in the exact place where the Japanese garrisons on Nauru and Ocean Island signed their surrender documents in 1945. You can tour the vessel and learn about its fascinating history at the Queensland Maritime Museum, one of the biggest of its kind in the country and with plenty to interest casual visitors as well as avowed sea dogs.

Other vessels to inspect include a 1925 steam tug; a 1907 pealing lugger; and the yacht in which Queenslander Jessica Watson made history as the youngest person to sail solo and unassisted around the world in 2010. There's also a lighthouse exhibit, an extensive collection of ship models, and a historic dry dock dating back to the founding of the colony of Queensland. As well as walking tours and temporary exhibitions, the museum hosts concerts and talks.