Life at sea runs in the Finch family's blood. Generations have worked on ships — many serving half a century or more in the maritime industry.
And despite living in a small country town more than 50 kilometres from the ocean, the Finch family home has become an homage to working and serving at sea.
Their collection includes a fully operational radio shack — that once blacked out power to half the town — as well as ship steering wheels, working gear, bells, masts and scale models, to name a few.
The maritime memorabilia, trinkets and souvenirs were collected over decades from both world wars, the Royal Australian Navy, the United States Army Small Ships Section and various shipping companies.
The museum's founding father was Frederick "Frank" Finch, who at just 15 years old went to sea during World War II, serving in the United States Army Small Ships Section before working as a wharfie in Sydney until his retirement in 1988.
His collection and passion to preserve Australia's maritime history earned him an Order of Australia Medal.
In the mid 1960s, Frank Finch opened up his Kyogle home to the public, allowing them to visit his budding maritime collection.
Over the years, the collection grew and became a hit with tourists from near and far.
"It was word of mouth to start off with and word of mouth made it around the world," his son Wayne Finch said.
The expanding collection that made the museum so popular was eventually its undoing as it swallowed up large swaths of the Finch residence.
"Here in the house, it got too big," Wayne Finch said.
"We couldn't get disabled people in for a start and that's something that I wanted to do.
"I reckon that everyone and their dog should be able to come and see the maritime museum."
No safe harbour on the horizon
When Frank Finch passed away, his dying wish to his son Wayne Finch was that his maritime museum stay in Kyogle as one collection.
But despite his best efforts, Wayne Finch has not been able to fulfil his father's dream.
"Two things Dad didn't want. One, he didn't want it split up. And two, he didn't want to leave Kyogle," he said.
"And unfortunately, I'm the one who's got to wear that I've had to split it up and it's going to leave Kyogle."
Wayne Finch tried his best to find an alternative location in town but said a lack of suitable government or community-owned facilities made it difficult.
He also pursued spaces in commercial buildings but the costs and regulations involved were too great.
The Kyogle Shire Council general manager Graham Kennett said the maritime museum would have been a great tourism asset for the town, but the council simply did not have the means to house it.
"Unfortunately council's building stock is fairly limited," he said.
Mr Kennett said there were always a number of deserving community projects and groups competing for limited building space and resources, including men's sheds, women's shelters and crisis housing.
"There's some difficult decisions that often have to be made, and we just don't get to do all the things that we would like to do," he said.
Collection split between museums
Mr Kennett said the council was also limited when it came to helping Mr Finch secure space in a commercial building.
He said the inclusion of a public museum in most commercial spaces would require a development application for change of use to ensure it met building safety standards.
"There are certain fees that council could waive … for community groups and non-profits who are trying to deliver grant-funded projects," Mr Kennett said.
"But what we don't have is the ability to just say that you don't have to go through a regulatory process — those things are out of our hands."
The collection will be split up and sent to maritime unions and museums in Canberra, Brisbane, Newcastle and Ballina.
"Some of it will stay around the area but it will now only become a maritime collection," Mr Finch said.
"It won't become the unique maritime museum that was — and that's the sad part about it.
"I know they've missed out on something special."
