Historic sub gets new lease of life
FIMA Sydney paint the town black

BRUSH STROKES: AB Lee Andrew paints the outer casing of HMAS Otway, located in Holbrook, NSW.

Photo: ABPH Brenton Freind

By LCDR Antony Underwood

Six Sydney sailors have spruced up one of Australia’s more striking tourist landmarks. CPO Mick Lampshire recently led a team of bosun’s mates from Fleet Interim Maintenance Activity (FIMA) Sydney to Holbrook, a small township on the Hume Highway.

For tourists, there are few more arresting sights than an 89-metre attack submarine, aground forever more than 200 km from the nearest coast. But it’s not a gross navigation error.

For those who have not driven the Hume to Melbourne in recent years, Holbrook is the last resting place of the casing of HMAS Otway and “spiritual home” of the Australian Submarine Squadron.

The 38-year-old submarine was taken there by low-loader more than a decade ago.

The surface of Otway had deteriorated over the years and the Holbrook Submarine Museum Committee sought Navy help for an operation to de-scale, prepare and preserve the hull.

The FIMA artisans agreed to take on the task when normal fleet activities allowed, on the basis that Greater Hume Shire Council provide board and accommodation and pay for suitable paint.

The team spent a total of 10 days in Holbrook - scene of several Submarine Squadron Freedom of Entry marches - taking the opportunity to join many of the “old and bold” of the SM fraternity in Anzac Day commemorations.

“Obviously there’s not a great requirement for anti-fouling paint for a submarine at Holbrook,” said the CO of FIMA Sydney, LCDR Craig Lee, “so the team settled for about 200 litres of black enamel.

“It was a big job and, even though it no longer belongs to the Navy, we still consider it a ‘Navy asset’ in a way and, because it’s in a prominent position, we feel it’s important to keep it looking spic and span.

It does attract some 250,000 visitors annually.”

LCDR Lee spoke at a ceremony at Holbrook on May 6 to hand the refurbished Oberon class submarine back and to present a commemorative plaque to president of the Submarine Association in the presence of the general manager of the council.

“Next year we hope to return to do some work on the rear end of a submarine - propellers etc next to Otway,” he said, “if our workload permits.”

• Holbrook was originally known as Germanton, a name that was changed to Holbrook because of the wave of anti- German sentiment, which swept Australia during WWII.
  
  In 1914, British submarine commander LEUT Norma Holbrook guided the submarine HMS B11 below a minefield in the Dardanelles to torpedo an enemy Turkish battleship, the Messudiyeh.
  
  Destroyers and on-shore forts immediately attacked B11 and during the trip back through the minefields Holbrook and his crew were forced to stay submerged for nine hours, an incredible feat for a submarine built in 1905.
  
  Holbrook was later awarded the Victoria Cross.

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