HMAS ''Bermagui'' was a 402-ton auxiliary

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

operated by the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the navy, naval branch of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (Australia), Chief of Navy (CN) Vice admiral (Australia), Vice Admiral Mark Hammond (admiral), Ma ...

(RAN) during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. ''HMAS Bermagui'' was laid down by the

Ailsa Shipbuilding Company Ailsa Shipbuilding Company was a Scottish shipbuilding company based in Troon and Ayr, Ayrshire. History The company was founded in 1885 by Archibald Kennedy, 3rd Marquess of Ailsa, along with Peter James Wallace and Alexander McCredie. In 19 ...

, Troon, Scotland in 1912 for the Illawarra & South Coast Steam Navigation Company. In December 1939, the ship was requisitioned by the RAN as an

auxiliary Auxiliary may refer to: In language * Auxiliary language (disambiguation) * Auxiliary verb In military and law enforcement * Auxiliary police * Auxiliaries, civilians or quasi-military personnel who provide support of some kind to a military se ...

, and was commissioned on 11 December. She was fitted with one 12-pounder 12cwt QF gun, one .303 inch Vickers machine gun, and four Type D

depth charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon designed to destroy submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited ...

s. During the war, ''Bermagui'' was attached to the naval base HMAS ''Maitland'' in

Newcastle, New South Wales Newcastle, also commonly referred to as Greater Newcastle ( ; ), is a large Metropolitan area, metropolitan area and the second-most-populous such area of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the cities of City of Newcastle, Newcastle and Ci ...

and served as an auxiliary minesweeper, boom defence vessel, and minefield tender. The ship was paid off from service on 23 November 1945 and returned to her civilian owners on 22 July 1946. She was sold in 1951 to Lumber Operators Pty Ltd and in 1954 to Allen Taylor & Co. as a timber transport vessel. She was later sold in 1961 and converted into a gravel barge and used on the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River (Turrbal language, Turrbal: ) is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia. It flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the ...

until 1979. She was scuttled off

Tangalooma, Queensland Originally a whaling station, Tangalooma Island Resort (formerly known as Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort) is a resort on the west side of Moreton Island in Queensland, Australia. It lies on the eastern shore of Moreton Bay and is known for i ...

as part of an

artificial reef An artificial reef (AR) is a human-created freshwater or marine benthic structure. Typically built in areas with a generally featureless bottom to promote Marine biology#Reefs, marine life, it may be intended to control #Erosion prevention, erosio ...

for

snorkeling Snorkeling (American and British English spelling differences#Doubled in British English, British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of human swimming, swimming face down on or through a body of water while breathing ...

Citations

References

* Straczek, JH. "Royal Australian Navy A - Z Ships, Aircraft and Shore Establishments"
Naval Historical Society of Australia: On this day – 1939
Minesweepers of the Royal Australian Navy 1912 ships Coastal trading vessels of Australia Scuttled vessels of Australia {{australia-mil-ship-stub