HMAS Coogee was a passenger ferry that briefly served as a Royal Australian Navy armed patrol vessel and minesweeper in the latter part of the First World War. She was launched in 1887 and scuttled in 1928.
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | |
| Builder | J.L. Thompson and Sons, Sunderland |
| Yard number | 224 |
| Launched | 23 March 1887 |
| Completed | 9 May 1887 |
| Identification | UK official number 93722 |
| Fate | Scrapped and hulk scuttled in 1928 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | ferry |
| Tonnage | 762 GRT, 286 NRT |
| Length | 225.0 ft (68.6 m) |
| Beam | 30.2 ft (9.2 m) |
| Depth | 13.5 ft (4.1 m) |
| Installed power | 281 NHP |
| Propulsion | |
History
J.L. Thompson and Sons built her at North Sands, Sunderland as Lancashire Witch, launching her on 23 March 1887 and completing her on 9 May. John Dickinson and Son of Monkwearmouth built her triple-expansion steam engines.[1]
The New Isle of Man Steam Navigation Company had ordered her to be a ferry between Liverpool and the Isle of Man. However, in 1888 Huddart Parker bought her, renamed her Coogee and registered her in Melbourne.[1]
On 20 May 1918 the Royal Australian Navy requisitioned Coogee and commissioned her as a minesweeper for the Bass Strait and as an armed patrol vessel. In 1919 the RAN returned her to her owners. In 1921 the Postmaster-General's Department chartered her to repair the Bass Strait cable.[citation needed]
Fate
In 1927 Huddart Parker sold Coogee for scrap. Her engines were removed and she was scuttled outside Port Phillip Bay in 1928 at 38°18′12″S 144°35′0″E / 38.30333°S 144.58333°E.[2]The wreck is now a popular dive site.[3][4]
Citations
References
- Gillett, Ross (1986). Australia's navy: past, present & future. Brookvale, NSW: Child & Henry. ISBN 0-86777-178-X.
External links
- "Coogee Dive Site". The Scuba Doctor.