Brolga flys home to Freo

By LCDR Mick Gallagher

Ex- MSA Brolga awaits the auctioneer’s hammer at Darling Harbour in Sydney late last year. She sold for $255,000.

Photo: POPH Bill McBride

The former RAN Minesweeper Auxiliary, ex-MSA Brolga has returned to her “home port” Fremantle, WA, where she was built in 1975 by Australian Shipbuilding Industries.

Originally the lighthouse tender Lumen for the Australian Department of Transport, Brolga was obtained by the RAN on February 10, 1988.

The 268 tonne vessel has a length of 28.45 metres and a speed of 10 knots.

Late last year, Brolga was sold at auction at the Cockle Bay Marina, Darling Harbour, Sydney.

With bids starting at $50,000 the field narrowed to two bidders from Darwin and Fremantle.

At the fall of the hammer on $255,000, Brolga’s return voyage home to WA was sealed.

The auctioneer, Pat Slattery, has a close association with the RAN.

His father served as a PO Gunner in the Tribal Class destroyer HMAS Warramunga during the Korean War.

“I’ve disposed of many Navy ships in the past including Swan, Torrens, Moresby, Flinders, Vampire, Perth, Hobart and the Oberon class submarines,” said Peter Cattlin of Slattery Auctions.

Peter worked for Defence for 38 years before retiring in June, 2003.

He was Director ADF Disposals and Marketing Agency, Joint Logistics Command.

Mr Cattlin has also played a major part in the setting up of dive site disposals.

Some of these have included such popular dive sites as Swan off Busselton, Hobart off Yankalilla Bay Fleurieu Peninsula SA, and Perth off Albany.

Brolga will now get a new lease of life in Western Australia.

She will be converted so she can be used as a mother ship for a fishing fleet operating out of Fremantle.

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