Garden Island Naval Dockyard

These notes are courtesy of DRG who in his early life as a Marine Architect worked at the Dockyard. Cameras were not allowed, we are however looking out some archive material for later inclusion for those of you interested in Naval History.

Garden Island was so named because in the early days of settlement is was used as a vegetable garden. It was an island until WW II when the graving dock was constructed between the Island and Potts Point. The graving dock is in two parts and a small vessel can be accommodated in the northern end while a larger vessel can be worked on in the southern end.When the Navy took over the old wharves between GI and what is now the Blue Hotel, it made it easy to keep the security areas "secure"and people can come and go through various gates on Cowper Wharf Roadway.

The former aircraft carriers HMAS Sydney and HMAS Melbourne were able to be accommodated in the southern section of the dock. To give you some statistics we include a few details on these two Carriers.

HMAS Sydney
Type: Majestic Class Aircraft Carrier / Fast Troop Transport
Displacement 15,740 tons (as Aircraft Carrier), 12,569 tons (as Fast TroopTransport) Length : 695 feet (overall) Flight Deck: 690 feet 8 inches
Beam: 80 feet . Draught: 25 feet
Builder: HM Dockyard, Devonport, England. Laid Down: 19 April 1943
Launched: 30 September 1944. Machinery: Brown Curtis Turbines

HMAS Melbourne
Laid Down 15 April 1943 as HMS Majestic Launched 28 February 1945, by Lady Anderson, wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Commissioned 28 October 1955. Displacement 15 740 tons (standard) 20 000 (full load). Length 701 feet 5 inches (overall). Flight Deck 690 feet 8 inches. Beam 80 feet 2 inches. Width 112 feet 6 inches (overall). Draught 25 feet 5 inches. Machinery Parsons single reduction geared turbines, 2 shaft. Horsepower 42,000. Speed 24 knots

The large hammerhead crane has a lifting capacity of 250 tonnes. details here:
http://www.mmci.com.au/articles/hammerhead/hammerhead_00.html The primary purpose was to lift gun turrets. It now receives little use reflecting the change in armaments over the last two decades. It last operation in 1988 was to lift large electrical generating components. This page is a good read and includes photographs. We have added a few in the Galleria as well.

The presence of the Queen Mary II and other commercial craft as seen in the Galleria reflects the corporatisation of Garden Island. The place is required to charge for services and make a $ when it can.
There are now extensive Tourist facilities on the Island reached by Sydney Ferries from Circular Quay.

Updated, Hammerhead Crane scaffold and Heritage Building December 30th 2007

Last update 25 February 2011