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 K]

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

[Ken Hughes]

Maybe the new zealand govt could buy it for our navy!,as it has no visual guns it would be perfect for us.
Another term for govt is "mentally challenged"
On the serious side though,it should be rescued and restored for the future.
I sure would like to see that happen.

[aj.lec]

It would be a real pity to see it even further slip in to disrepair
It makes me so cranky to see irreplaceable parts of our history destroyed or not looked after whether it be scrappies or useless politicians

As for the current "government" I was sent an email a little while back that i think fits this occasion

Subject: Fencepost turtle

While stitching up the hand of a 75 year old Queensland farmer, who got cut on a gate while working cattle, the rural doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Kevin 07 and his appointment to Prime Minister of Australia.

"Well, ya know," drawled the old farmer, "this Rudd fella is what they call a fencepost turtle."

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a fencepost turtle was.

The old farmer said, "when you're driving along a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's called a fencepost turtle."

The old farmer saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain, "You know he didn't get up there by himself, he definitely doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there, even though his legs are moving he's going nowhere cos his feet aren't on the ground and you just gotta wonder what kind of dill put him up there in the first place!''

[lynx42]

Ha! Ha! Ha! Nearly fell off my chair. Never heard that one but will sure use it from now on. Rick

[Howard]

My good Mate & fellow Cab 12 nutter, Tony, has a good analogy for political parties. It goes something like this...

This is Tony's TWO COWS theory...
COMMUNISM: They take both cows then give you the milk
FASCISM: They take both cows then sell you the milk.
NAZISM: They take both cows then shoot you.
LIBERALISM: They keep one cow, sell the other & buy a Bull.
LABORISM: They take both cows, they shoot one, they milk the other & throw the milk away.
(My apologies to Tony if I don't quite get it right, and my apologies to the original author if it is too 'mangled').



COL: Sorry to hijack your thread...

[Treadhead]

Originally Posted by Howard

LIBERALISM: They keep one cow, sell the other & buy a Bull.

COL: Sorry to hijack your thread...

I'm surprised they don't try & convince the Cows of the Benefits & Merits of Living together as an Alternative "Lifestyle Choice"

Hijacking? no it's all in good fun.

[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 K]

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.