Key facts
- The historic dockland site in Bristol housing the SS Great Britain has been renamed Bristol Dockyards.
- The rebranding ditches the names of the ship and its designer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
- The new focus aims to be more inclusive and address topics like migration and the British Empire.
- The SS Great Britain Trust CEO stated the goal is to present something rooted in Bristol's identity.
- The site will continue to be referred to as the 'home to the SS Great Britain'.
The historic site in Bristol that houses the SS Great Britain, previously promoted as Brunel’s SS Great Britain, is undergoing a significant rebranding to Bristol Dockyards. This strategic shift aims to make the maritime landmark more contemporary, inclusive, and relevant to current societal discussions, moving away from solely focusing on engineering achievements.
Andrew Edwards, the chief executive of the SS Great Britain Trust, explained that the decision to drop the names of both the ship and its famed designer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is part of a drive to make the site "cooler" and more rooted in Bristol's identity. He acknowledged that such changes can be met with resistance but emphasized the need to reflect the city's diversity and contemporary spirit.
The revamped museum will delve into the personal histories of the ship's passengers and its impact on various regions, including Australia, India, the Caribbean, and the US. Stories of individuals like George Moses, a ship's cook from Jamaica, and James W Jones, a Barbadian musician and poet, will be featured, alongside details of the ship's role in global conflicts and its impact on Indigenous Australians.
Edwards drew parallels to Bristol's previous decision to rename the concert hall formerly named after the slave trader Edward Colston, highlighting the city's ongoing engagement with its complex heritage. He clarified that the "SS" in the ship's name stands for "steamship," not "slave ship," as the vessel was built after the abolition of the slave trade.
This renaming is the first phase of a larger plan to transform the historical site into a "cultural campus" addressing heritage, sustainability, and diversity, in anticipation of the ship's 60th anniversary of its return to Bristol in 2030. While the site is being renamed, it will still be identified as the "home to the SS Great Britain."