Ex-HMAS Brisbane - 133m long wreck in 5-30m on the Sunshine Coast

[Pressurehead]

I remember diving the Brisbane's sister ship Hobart down in South Australia in 2004, not long after she was scuttled.

I have found that odd , why was the xHMAS Hobart scuttled off South Australia and not near Hobart Tasmania?
The other xDDGs are close their namesake city [their state at least] Brisbane , North of Brisbane, Perth is located in Western Australia near the town of Albany, Hobart scuttled in SA for Adelaide divers FFS.

 

[chris kippax]

Does anyone else think that the Ex-HMAS Tobruk is in a strange spot, miles from anywhere and very expensive to dive.

Out in front of the Gold Coast seaway would of been much better IMHO.

 

[Divectionist]

Out in front of the Gold Coast seaway would of been much better IMHO.

it would sure be a step up from the Scottish Prince wreck that lies in 10m of water just a tad South of the spit there. I never find any whiskey bottles there either.

The reason for the Tobruk location is probably no more than a tourism incentive. A big wreck would surely be better for the GC than some strange artist installations or whatever they are planning/implementing now.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I remember diving the Brisbane's sister ship Hobart down in South Australia in 2004, not long after she was scuttled.

I have found that odd , why was the xHMAS Hobart scuttled off South Australia and not near Hobart Tasmania?
The other xDDGs are close their namesake city [their state at least] Brisbane , North of Brisbane, Perth is located in Western Australia near the town of Albany, Hobart scuttled in SA for Adelaide divers FFS.

That's a good question - Hobart was "gifted" to the SA government by the Australian DoD, so it doesn't sound like there was a question of which state could pay for it. The only other logistical concerns I can think of would be suitable scuttling sites or that the cleaning work was done at the Port Adelaide shipyards; aside from that it would be a matter of who wanted it and how much lobbying was done. When the frigates HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Canberra were also scuttled as dive reefs, they went to NSW and Victoria, so it seems like Tasmania is the odd state out - they attempted to get HMAS Tobruk for Skeleton Bay, but lost out to Queensland. Not sure how that was decided.

Interesting note, Brisbane's bridge and one of the 127mm gun mounts were removed from the ship prior to scuttling and installed outside the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

 

[Pressurehead]

Does anyone else think that the Ex-HMAS Tobruk is in a strange spot, miles from anywhere and very expensive to dive.

Out in front of the Gold Coast seaway would of been much better IMHO.

Yes, agreed.
And when I asked to book a dive on the xHMAS Tobruk the dive shop said " we don't have Nitrox [when asked], it was a choice between Nitrox or a new boat".

 

[Divectionist]

Yes, agreed.
And when I asked to book a dive on the xHMAS Tobruk the dive shop said " we don't have Nitrox [when asked], it was a choice between Nitrox or a new boat".

Yeah give me the old boat then because air is useless for a wreck at that depth. It's a hassle to own tanks with the annual hydro in this country, and all the driving around to get fills, but at least it takes the sting out of operators that won't offer Nitrox, or steel, or are not reliable enough for short notice tank rentals for shore dives and what not.

 

[Searcaigh]

I have found that odd , why was the xHMAS Hobart scuttled off South Australia and not near Hobart Tasmania?

Perhaps they had a poor navigator

 

[jale]

Yeah give me the old boat then because air is useless for a wreck at that depth. It's a hassle to own tanks with the annual hydro in this country, and all the driving around to get fills, but at least it takes the sting out of operators that won't offer Nitrox, or steel, or are not reliable enough for short notice tank rentals for shore dives and what not.

Hi
you mean that in Australia, you need to do a hydrotest each year!!!
or you mean a visual...

 

[chris kippax]

Hydro every year, I am well on the way to having a complete ring of hydro stamps around the neck of my tanks.
Nanny state has nanny rules

 

[jale]

thank for the info.
Annual hydro is indeed a bit extreme