A picture of Dr Steve Rintoul, Senator the Hon Kim Carr and CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Megan Clark after the launch of the Future Vessel Project in Hobart, Tasmania.

(Left to right): Dr Steve Rintoul, Senator Kim Carr and CSIRO Chief Executive, Dr Megan Clark after the launch of the Future Vessel Project.

Float a name competition winners

Read the winning competition entries for the name of Australia's next marine research vessel.

15 January 2010 | Updated 14 October 2011

The Hon Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, has announced the winners of the national Float a name competition.

The Investigator was chosen from 1 458 entries received as the winning name for the Australian Government’s new A$120 million deep water research vessel.

Joint winners of the competition, Kirrily Moore and Clare Cameron named the vessel, The Investigator.

The name paid tribute to Australia’s prestigious maritime heritage. Matthew Flinders’ circumnavigated Australia onboard the original Investigator over 200 years ago.

As joint winners they will be offered the opportunity to design an experiment in conjunction with CSIRO scientists to be undertaken on The Investigator's maiden voyage.

Prizes were awarded in three categories:

primary students
secondary students
everybody else.

The winners in each category are:

Winners and runners-up	Suggested name
Primary Schools Winner: Clare Cameron St Hilda's School, Runaway Bay, Qld	The Flinders Investigator
Primary Schools Runner-up: Sarah Mcdonald Holy Spirit School, Bray Park, Qld	The Discoverer
Secondary Schools Winner: Hayden Terry, Fajar Ismail, Kerry-Anne Kerr, Cody Kschammer Eaton Community Collage, Bunbury, WA	The Southern Endeavour
Secondary Schools Runner-up: Savanna Burgess Stella Maris College, Manly, NSW	The Wajungjar
Open Winner: Kirrily Moore Mount Stuart, TAS	The Investigator
Open Runner-up: Tom Stoeckl Wavell Heights, Qld	Iritjinga