AdBlock Detected

It looks like you're using an ad-blocker!

Our team work realy hard to produce quality content on this website and we noticed you have ad-blocking enabled.

Category: Ships

Posted on

Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Factory

Entrance to the Torpedo Factory

Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Factory

Opened in September 2023, the Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus is an excellent addition to this heritage site. Managed by the Harbour Trust, the old factory was partially demolished and revitalised as an open public space.

Getting There

We used public transport, getting the train to Milsons Point Station and then walking for 10 minutes. If you prefer to drive, there is parking available on site.

History of the Site

Opened in 1942 during World War Two the factory produced torpedoes for Allied forces. Many of the employees were women, due to many men being in the armed forces. Commemorated at the site with murals, it’s a great reminder of their contribution during the war. Post war, the torpedo workshops continued to service the British Navy submarine fleet based at HMAS Penguin and the Royal Australian Navy’s destroyer fleet.

The entire base was closed in 1999 when the Royal Australian Navy moved its Collins-class submarines to Western Australia.

The Site Now

The old factory features several interesting display that explain the site’s history. These range from a Torpedo Mark VIII, information boards and murals with photos and signs from the factory. There is also a car park with electric charging stations.

Our previous blog, which covers the rest of Sub Base Platypus can be found here.

Entrance to the Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus
Entrance to the Torpedo Factory at Sub Base Platypus
Torpedo Mark VIII Mod 4 on display Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Workshop
Torpedo Mark VIII Mod 4 on display
Rear underside view of the Mark VIII Torpedo
Rear underside view of the Mark VIII Torpedo
Old Signs Sub Base Platypus Torpedo Workshop
Old Signs
Old Signs
Old Signs

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Posted on

Museum of Sydney

HMS Sirius Flagship of the First Fleet

Museum of Sydney

Located on Bridge St, not far from Circular Quay, the Museum of Sydney focuses on the history of the city with an emphasis on the impact white settlement had and still has on Aboriginal People.

Bust of Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the First Fleet and the First Governor of Australia The Museum of Sydney
Bust of Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the First Fleet and the First Governor of Australia

Getting There

As with many attractions in Sydney, public transport is the easiest and cheapest way to travel. We caught the Light Rail from Central Station, getting off the Bridge Street stop. From here, it was an easy 5-minute walk to the museum.

Entry

Entry was free with staff only requesting a post code to see where visitors were from.

Exhibits

Edge of Trees

Located in the museum’s forecourt, these 29 pillars represent 29 clans from the Sydney area.

Edge of Trees The Museum of Sydney
Edge of Trees

The First Fleet

The first display we saw was a series of scale models of the first fleet. This impressive display had each ship represented along with a short description and history. Many of the names of these ships are commemorated in Royal Australian Navy ships and Sydney Harbour ferries.

Model ships of the First Fleet
Model ships of the First Fleet
HMS Sirius Flagship of the First Fleet
HMS Sirius Flagship of the First Fleet

Government House

A model of the original Government House shows how the site appeared in the 1780s. This building was the centre of colonial administration for 57 years until replaced by the new Government House.

Located in the museum’s forecourt on Bridge Street, a glass-fronted display provides a view of subterranean remains of the first Government House. Inside the museum, near the gift shop, additional glass panels in the floor provide glimpses of archaeological remains, including foundations and drains.

Model of the First Government House The Museum of Sydney
Model of the First Government House
Model of the First Government House
Model of the First Government House

Special Exhibition: The Sydney Opera House

The top floor of the Museum houses rotating displays, often with an aboriginal theme. During our visit, the Sydney Opera House’ 50th anniversary was being celebrated. As a result, there was a large exhibition detailing its history.

This exhibit only runs until 12 November 2023, when it will be replaced by a new series of displays.

Lego Model of the Opera House
Lego Model of the Opera House
Woven Model of the Opera House
Woven Model of the Opera House
Posters of shows held at the Sydney Opera House The Museum of Sydney
Posters of shows held at the Sydney Opera House
Costume worn by Dame Joan Sutherland in Lucrezia Borgia
Costume worn by Dame Joan Sutherland in Lucrezia Borgia

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Posted on

Brays Bay Ship-Building Memorial

Ship Building Memorial From the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk

Brays Bay Ship-Building Memorial

Located adjacent to the Kokoda Track Memorial Pathway, the Brays Bay Ship-Building Memorial is a tribute to the ship building that operated here from 1939 to 1945. Representing a ship a sculpture sits next to the entrance walkway which has ships’ names etched into it.

Operated by Tulloch, the shipyard built the bow and midsections of shallow draught vessels here. The stern sections were constructed at Granville. These small ships were needed for operations in coastal areas in Northern Australia and New Guinea. Up to 1945 when construction halted up to 24 ships were built here.

The entrance to the area recreates the slipway the vessels were built on, while the ship sculpture represents the bow section of a ship built here.

This is an interesting addition to the memorial walk while teaching us a little about the wartime industry in the area.

Entrance to the Brays Bay Ship Building Memorial
Entrance to the Ship-Building Memorial
The Memorial
Sculpture Representing the Bow Section of a Ship
Brays Bay Memorial
Ship-Building Memorial
Ship Building Memorial From the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk
Ship-Building Memorial From the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.