HMAS Brisbane’s set to impress
The Australian War Memorial will soon have Brisbane’s bridge and a gun section. Barry Rollings reports.

IMPRESSIVE: An artist’s view of how Brisbane’s bridge and her gun section will look at the Australian War Memorial.

IN TOW: HMAS Brisbane is towed from Garden Island, Sydney as she’s taken to be sunk as a dive site.

Photo: APPH Nicol Kelly

Volume 49, No. 9, June 1, 2006

HMAS Brisbane, who has made her mark in the annals of the Australian Navy, is set to sail into history in a different way.

Her bridge and gun sections will be incorporated into the new post-1945 conflicts galleries at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) as a result of a $2.1 million allocation in the 2006-07 Federal Budget.

Brisbane was sunk off Queensland’s Sunshine Coast near Mooloolaba in July last year to be used as a dive site.

The AWM plans to spend more than $20 million to greatly expand and improve the galleries that commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australian men and women involved in the many conflicts since World War II, including Vietnam, Korea and peacekeeping.

The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Bruce Billson, said the $2.1 million budget allocation was in addition to the $32.4 million allocated to the memorial for 2006-07.

Mr Billson said Brisbane would be a major component in the new galleries and a fitting tribute to the long and distinguished service of the RAN.

“For some time, Navy veterans have expressed a strong wish to have larger-scale displays relating to naval service at the memorial,” he said.
“However, the size of naval relics generally has made it impossible for them to be displayed.

“The inclusion of sections of the Brisbane and associated displays in the post-1945 galleries should address those wishes.

“The Brisbane exhibit will highlight its long operational history and tell the stories of its crew and that of its sister ships HMA Ships Perth and Hobart.

“Cutting-edge multi-media techniques will be used to capture some of the experiences of the ship and its crew in the Vietnam War and the first Gulf War,” the Minister said.
HMAS Brisbane (1966) was the second vessel of that name to serve in the RAN.

She was the third of the RAN’s American-built Charles F. Adams class guided-missiles destroyers. The others were HMA Ships Hobart and Perth and each cost $40 million ($50 million with missiles).

The first major Australian warships designed and built in America, they carried a complement of 20 officers and 312 sailors. Apart from the 5-inch/54 calibre guns, they were armed with Ikara missile systems and anti-submarine torpedoes.

Brisbane undertook two tours of duty with the US Seventh Fleet off Vietnam in 1969 and again in 1971, and was the last ship of the RAN to serve there.
During the Gulf War (1990-91), Brisbane was one of four Australian warships to serve a tour in Gulf waters.

These formed part of the anti-aircraft screen for the US Navy carrier battle groups. Brisbane arrived in the Gulf in December 1990 and served there until March 1991, performing a number of roles.

Apart from contributing to the anti-air defences in the carrier screen, she also kept watch for mines and ensured that small civilian craft kept well away from the carrier group. Later, during Desert Storm, Brisbane controlled fighter combat air patrols and tanker aircraft.

Her final role was as an escort for US replenishment ships.

“The Australian Government is committed to honouring the service and sacrifice of Australia’s men and women in wars, conflicts and peace operations,” Mr Billson said.

“This commitment has seen significant funding allocated to expanding and redeveloping the Australian War Memorial during the past 10 years, including $11.6 million towards the CEW Bean building and post-1945 conflicts galleries.”

The AWM has said that gallery space devoted to these operations will be nearly tripled and the interiors completely renovated.

Work on the new Post-’45 galleries began in May 2006 and is scheduled to open in late 2007.

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