Steel cat lands on all fours
The scuttling of HMAS Brisbane off the coast of Mooloolabah last week was a dignified and emotional event.
Over 15,000 spectators farewelled the steel cat as she disappeared beneath the waves to begin a new life as a dive site.

FLAMING GLORY: The grand finale of Brisbane’s life in the sun as the upper decks erupted into flame.

Photo: ABPH Kade Rogers

With four flashes of fire on her deck, 38 subtle explosive “krumps” below the waterline and hisses of spray, the Steel Cat – the former HMAS Brisbane – settled “purr fectly” on the sea-bed off of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on July 31.

After 38 years on the surface protecting Australia, the 4,100 tonne Charles F Adams Class guided missile destroyer (DDG), had begun a second life, that of an instant reef and what shapes to be one of the prime dive sites in the world.

“She did a good job when she worked for us.

Now she’s done a good job here today,” a former CO and recently retired Chief of Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie, said as the warship took just over two minutes to settle in 27 metres of water.

“It is still a little sad,” he added. HMAS Brisbane was retired from the RAN late in 2001.

SHADOW: HMAS Brisbane shortly before she was scuttled.

Photo: ABPH Kade Rogers

GOODBYE: The Steel Cat’s last glimpse at the sun before she slips quietly beneath the waves.

Photo: ABPH Kade Rogers

FAREWELL: The crew of HMAS Diamantina wave goodbye to Brisbane as she is towed into position.

Photo: Graham Davis

She was the last of three DDGs operated by the RAN and in her life was home to a total of 7,000 sailors. She was the RAN’s last “all male” ship and the last of Australia’s steam- driven warships. Her sisters, HMA Ships Perth and Hobart are dive sites in, respectively, WA and SA.

The Commonwealth provided the ship and several million dollars for the Queensland Government to prepare and take her from her home port, to the Brisbane River to be prepared for her new role as a diver wreck on the Sunshine Coast.

Equipment was stripped and her bridge was cut away and, with one of her guns, will provide a “walk through” exhibit at Canberra’s Australian War Memorial. Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supervised further stripping and removal of all noxious fluids and substances. By project’s end 400 tonnes of equipment and 20,000 kilometres of cable and piping had been removed.

Large holes were cut in her sides, funnels and interior partitions so that divers could get access to most of the ship and interesting areas such as the engine and boiler rooms without being trapped. With the cost topping $5 million, it was decided to sink the hulk 2.5 nautical miles east of Mudjimba Island, off Mooloolaba.

Canadian explosives expert Roy Gabriel, who had already sunk Perth and Hobart, placed the charges to send Brisbane to Davey Jones’s locker. Late on Friday afternoon, July 29, ship’s company of HMAS Diamantina moored ahead of Brisbane for a port visit to the Queensland capital, gathered on deck to give the old DDG a wave and a cheer as she was towed past by Gladstone-based tug, Tom Tough.

Off Mooloolaba, her bow anchor was dropped. Roy Gabriel and his team fitted 38 explosive charges along her keel line and pyrotechnics to four spots on her upper deck. A one nautical mile exclusion zone was imposed and patrols set up.

Extensive publicity in Queensland and indeed across Australia, meant that millions knew of the planned sinking. Sunday, July 31 was going to be a big, and historic, day.

Thousands of people wanted to see it happen. On Saturday hundreds went to boat ramps on the Sunshine Coast, launched their craft, tethered them where they could and either camped ashore or on board, ready to make the journey to the open sea the next morning. From dawn on the Sunday the dash to the sinking site began.

There was soon a marine traffic jam in the Maroochy River as everything from kayaks to 260 tonne cruisers and dive craft headed to sea. By 9.30am 30 minutes before detonation time an estimated 1,000 small craft formed a box around the grey ship. Police, Coastguard and Fisheries patrol boats kept order.

Overhead 10 helicopters hovered, cameramen and photographers ready to shoot the action. Fixed-wing aircraft also circled, one hired by the EPA. Its job was to delay the sinking if any whales or dolphins appeared.

The warship could be clearly seen from shore and many thousands lined Point Cartwright at the entrance to the Maroochy River. As 10am approached a crowd of about 15,000 waited and watched. On board the 260 tonne dive catamaran Big Cat Reality a large number of VIPs and media also waited, cameras trained on No 41. Among them were five who had served in, even commanded the Steel Cat.

These included VADM Ritchie, RADM Geoffrey Loosli (CO 1971 and 72 and took her to Vietnam), CAPT Ralph Derbridge, LCDR John Gray and LS Kerry Kerr. Just after 10am as the final demolition party returned to the control launch, it was time to send the Steel Cat to phase two of her life. A count-down from 10 saw the Queensland Premier push a plunger and the action begin. A ball of red flame erupted near her stern, followed by a bang and more flame near her No 2 funnel, a third near the stump of her mast and a fourth on the forecastle. Below more subtle “krumps” could be felt as the 38 charges did their work and blew large holes in her hull. Slowly at first but then gathering pace the 4,100 tonne warship began to sink. Her bow settled more quickly giving an attitude that this steel feline wanted to kick up her heels. She retained her attitude and settled with hisses of vapour and partially shrouded in smoke from the charges (nothing new for the Steel Cat because she fired 14,000 rounds during the Vietnam war), to the sandy sea bed below.

It was all over in just two minutes and 15 seconds. As she went she was given final “toots” by small craft, many saddened waves and a lot of cheers.

Cameras on bow and stern recorded her final movement.

Five minutes later the ocean had closed over her and was “back to normal” although some remarked “Isn’t the ocean a little greyer just there?” The Steel Cat had started the second of her nine lives…one, some say, that could last 500 years.

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