Pardelup Prison Farm inmates lent a hand at the Brig Amity this week, helping the resident shipwright and his crew give the historic tourist attraction a makeover in honour of Albany’s bicentenary.

The group started work on Monday and finished on Friday, spending five days learning tricks of the trade and putting their trade skills to use under the direction of shipwright Darren Russell.

Mr Russell and his team have been working on the Amity for years, conducting routine maintenance to keep the famous replica looking shipshape.

This week’s restoration works held special significance, not just for Albany’s bicentenary this year, but also because 2026 marks 50 years since the replica of the important vessel was installed at the Museum of the Great Southern.

The original Brig Amity was sailed into King George Sound by Major Edmund Lockyer in 1826, marking the beginning of European settlement in WA.

It was wrecked in the Bass Strait in 1845 during a winter storm, but a full-scale replica was built in 1975 and installed the following year.

It still stands in Albany to this day to teach visitors about the pioneering voyage that brought settlers to the Great Southern.

Museum of the Great Southern regional manager Catherine Salmaggi said the museum was “very grateful” to the Department of Justice for giving them the workforce necessary to tackle the mammoth task of restoring some key parts of the ship.

“Our shipwright Darren Russell from Emu Point Slipways has always worked on the brig for us,” she said.

“He’s kept her in shipshape, but there was some restoration work that needed to be done, which was going to be a huge job, so having the extra help from Pardelup has been wonderful.

“As you can imagine, keeping the ship in good condition requires a lot of work, she’s out in the weather all the time so the paint needed to be touched up, the nails in each panel needed to be replaced, some of the wooden pieces below deck needed looking at.

“It’s a huge restoration job that we’re doing to make her look beautiful for her anniversary.”

Thousands of visitors walk across the gangplank and onto the brig every year, and money from each ticket sold goes back into the upkeep of the ship.

Pardelup Prison Farm’s section 95 instructor David Johnson said when the museum invited the inmates to come and work on the replica vessel, the Department of Justice jumped at the opportunity.

“It’s an icon of Albany, and the opportunity for the men to participate in its restoration and learn new skills from the shipwright and his team is an opportunity we couldn’t pass up,” he said.

“It’s fantastic that the museum allows us and trusts us enough to work here and be a part of this magnificent project.

“The outcome for this week is to make sure that the boat’s just looking in tip-top shape for the bicentenary this year.

“There’s cosmetic work on the outside of the boat, we’ve reattached some planks to the hull and we’re going to prepare the hull for painting.

“I’ve got a crew working inside who are renovating the captain’s area, re-doing the table, which is quite ornate, and it’s a significant part of the boat.

“We’ll just beautify the boat, and through that they will learn ongoing skills so throughout the year, we’ll be able to come back when the shipwright is not available, and start to undertake some of those renovations to keep this attraction going.

“It was targeted for about 50 years of life, so we hope that it stays for another 50 years, and we can be a part of that.”