SS Great Britain site rebrands to Bristol Dockyards

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."