Canterbury Bankstown Councillor Glen Waud said the original Tom Thumb was a craft of great significance and should be displayed in a position that attracts much more community attention, like Bankstown's Knowledge Centre and Library. Currently, it sits in a window position within a purpose-built enclosure at Bankstown City Aged Care's Donington Gardens Self Care Facility.
The story of the Tom Thumb began two centuries ago, when it was used by explorer and surgeon George Bass and English navigator Captain Matthew Flinders, who were joined by William Martin, a servant, for a discovery voyage that sailed up the coast of New South Wales and into Port Botany, before following the Georges River to what is today Garrison Point.
Printing services have produced many Books detailing the history of the Tom Thumb.
Waud said that due to the little boat's historic significance, the replica should be displayed in a prominent place, adding:
“The significance of this little boat cannot be understated and nor was it when, to celebrate the Bicentenary, the Tom Thumb 1 replica, crafted by the Ship and Boat Building Apprentices of Sydney Technical College, was sailed from the steps of Circular Quay to Garrison Point to recreate this journey.”
Eventually, the replica was returned in 2007 to the council, put on display in the Town Hall foyer and eventually placed within the Self Care Facility.
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