World War 2
Pictures of the historic World War 2 warship at Williamstown. Melbourne. Australia.
The Gift In October 1973 the Commonwealth Government gifted the HMAS Castlemaine to The Maritime Trust of Australia for preservation. By now she was little more than a rusty and gutted hulk, stripped of all her deck fittings, winches, armament. Inside was not much better with there were no light fittings, bridge-equipment, just bare bulkheads! Below the, engines and boilers were in pieces amidst a chaotic pile of rubbish. Now the work to transfer the ship from Flinders Naval Depot to Melbourne began in earnest. The ship had to be hammer tested and surveyed for the return to Melbourne and her role as a historic vessel. A detailed inspection of the engines and boilers found it too costly for them to be readied for the ship to proceed under her own steam. Arrangements were then made for a tow -her final sea voyage and a new berth. In February 1974, a further party of volunteers arrived on the ship to prepare her for sea and the long tow back to Melbourne. The Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners had kindly offered the use of berth No.7 South Wharf for HMAS Castlemaine.
The Castlemaine has been restored parts gathered from corvettes being scrapped in Australia and New Zealand.
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