Saving HMVS Cerberus

[Treadhead]

I stumbled across this website a few months ago, can't think of a better place to share it.

http://www.cerberus.com.au/index.html



1.

Launched in 1868 Cerberus is the only remaining Monitor warship left in the world. Cerberus not only has its hull but also its gun turrets and its guns.
2. Cerberus was the first of the modern battleships.
3.

Preceding HMS Devastation by almost three years, Cerberus was the first British warship to dispense completely with sail power and to incorporate the shallow draft.
4.

Cerberus was the first, and is the only remaining example, of a Monitor having a central superstructure.
5.

The design for the Cerberus was the first in the world to incorporate the combination of a central superstructure with fore and aft gun turrets.
6.

Cerberus is the only substantially intact surviving warship of any of Australia's pre-Federation colonial navies.
7.

Cerberus is the oldest as well as the only surviving warship, to have served in the Royal Australian Navy.
8.

Cerberus represented Cutting Edge Technology from the 1860's.
9.

Cerberus was the flagship and most powerful warship of the Victorian Navy. In addition it was the most powerful warship of any of the Australian Colonial Navies.
10.

Cerberus incorporated the latest developments in metallurgy, steam power, gun turrets and the use of low freeboard.
11.

Cerberus was the first armoured warship built for Australia.

[Keith Webb]

Yes, I've often thought what a shame it was to just let it rot...

I think it's quite fragile now but surely what's left should be rescued and reconstructed using as much of the structure as possible.

[Treadhead]

They've raised the Turret of the Union Monitor to preserve it in the States, But this is the Special Interest Kowtowing Socialist slimebag Aust Gov for you, they'd rather it just collapsed altogether so they wouldn't have to deal with it anymore.

[lynx42]

What a great description of our so called Leaders, Col. You are so right in both statements.
Rick

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by lynx42

What a great description of our so called Leaders, Col. You are so right in both statements.
Rick

At the risk of further derailing this thread I couldn't agree more.

"Kevin 'Dud' Rudd our leader" is an oxymoron indeed.

We always knew he'd run out of good ideas once he no longer had Howard to copy.

[Mike Kelly]

Yep

It's a sad sight . It is located at Half Moon Bay , Black Rock, nestled in Melbourne's S.E. suburban sea side sprawl . It was scuttled there as a breakwater in the 1920's. There have been many efforts ,by various individuals and organized groups, locals, to save it, going back over 40 years.

On its maiden voyage out to the colonies, the crew almost deserted ship, because it was barely seaworthy, it almost rolled over and sank in rough sea.

Mike

[sapper740]

It was Naval vessels that started me down the road of collecting militaria. As a young boy growing up on the shores of West Vancouver I was always delighted to see the warships slip in and out of Vancouver harbour, or at anchor in English Bay. From tall ships such as the Nippon Maru to the colossal USS Coral Sea, my boyhood mind dreamed of travel and adventure. All of our nations were built upon sea power and to not preserve that history does grave disservice to both those who went down to the sea in ships and the future generations who will only be able to read about such exploits. Ships that have been preserved become huge focal points of national pride and a history lesson that all who visit will never forget. Some countries have done much better at preserving their maritime traditions. Canada has the St. Roch on the west coast, the Sackville on the east coast, and the Haida in the middle...not nearly enough! Imagine if we had preserved the Rainbow, Bonaventure, or Prince David. What a focus of national pride those ships would be. The U.S. has done a much better job, I've had the privilege of visiting the USS Texas (BB35), USS Alabama (BB60), USS Missouri (BB63), and the USS Lexington (CV16) as well as numerous smaller vessels and submarines. There is even a preserved Mine Sweeper in Omaha, Nebraska and the PT 110 in Fredericksburg, Tx. for Heaven's sake! There are still many, many more ships on my must visit list in the U.S. But none of these would be as rare as the Cerebus. What an opportunity Australia has and I hope the government has the foresight to preserve this valuable vessel while it still can. Derek.

[Keith Webb]

I was out in a helicopter this morning doing a shoot for a client and we flew past the wreck of HMVS Cerberus which was sunk as a breakwater off Black Rock in 1926.



This is an incredible artifact which has been left to collapse on itself over the years.

How important is she?

Launched in 1868 she is the last remaining Monitor Class warship in the world.

Here's a pic in her heyday.



There's more info here.

[malcolm erik bogaert]

thanks for the unusual and very interesting picture which you have posted...I have to say its to big a restoration job for me......isnt there a smaller type of pre-world war 1 monitor which took part in the ill fated campaign against Johnny Turk still lying at berth in Belfast! best regards malcolm

[Ganmain Tony]

Fantastic shot Keefy,

She definitely was a proud looking ship. Great to see the older photo of what it looked like in its heyday.

The turret looks like it took up half of Britains steel.

I reckon I'll google it to find out more.

[Mike Kelly]

https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/r...G+280/1/14/256


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMVS_Cerberus

A famous Melbourne landmark this vessel still currently sits at Half Moon Bay . I have seen the remains of this old ship many times during fishing trips to the pier.