State Dockyard facts for kids
HMAS Strahan
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| Industry | Ship building |
|---|---|
| Fate | Closed |
| Predecessor | Government Dockyard |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Founder | Government of New South Wales |
| Defunct | 1987 |
| Headquarters |
,
Australia
|
| Owner | Government of New South Wales |
The State Dockyard was a large place in Australia where ships were built and repaired. It was run by the Government of New South Wales. This important dockyard was located in Carrington, which is part of Newcastle, in New South Wales. It operated for many years, from 1942 until 1987.
Contents
History of the Dockyard
The State Dockyard first opened in 1942. It was built on the same spot as an older dockyard that had closed in 1933. Even though its official name was the "New South Wales Government Engineering & Shipbuilding Undertaking," everyone just called it the State Dockyard. It was located right on Newcastle Harbour. The main building area was about 11 hectares (27 acres). There was also a separate area for ship repairs, which was about 3 hectares (7.4 acres).
The dockyard launched its very first ship in July 1943. During World War II, the dockyard was very busy. It built two ships for the Royal Australian Navy. It also built 22 ships for the United States. On top of that, the dockyard repaired 600 ships that had been damaged.
After the war, the need for building many new ships slowed down. In the 1970s, the dockyard started doing other types of engineering work. For example, in 1986, a team of apprentices worked there. They spent three years fixing up a steam train called 3801. The State Dockyard finally closed its doors on March 3, 1987.
A huge floating dock was brought to Carrington in 1943. This dock could lift ships out of the water to fix them. It was very helpful for repairing damaged ships during World War II. This first floating dock was taken apart in 1977. A new one, named Muloobinba, was built in Japan to replace it. This newer floating dock was later sold to another country in 2012.
Ships Built at the Dockyard
The State Dockyard built many different kinds of ships over the years. Here is a list of some of the ships they constructed:
- HMAS Strahan (1943)
- HMAS Condamine (1944)
- SS Dorrigo (1946)
- SS Dubbo (1947)
- SS Delungra (1947)
- SS Denman (1949)
- MV Dongarra/Kabbarli (1950)
- SS Townsville (1952)
- MV Woomera (1952)
- MV Wangarra (1953)
- MV Warringa/Windarra (1953)
- MV Kooleen (1956)
- MV Koojarra (1956)
- MV Iranda (1957)
- MS Princess of Tasmania (1959)
- MV Bass Trader (1961)
- MV Cape Don (1962) - A ship that supplied lighthouses.
- Dredge John Main (1962) - Built for NSW Public Works.
- MV Cape Moreton (1963) - Another lighthouse supply vessel.
- MV Moresby (1963) - Used for travel to and from New Guinea.
- HMAS Moresby (1963)
- MV Cape Pillar (1964) - A third lighthouse supply vessel.
- MV Kooringa (1964)
- MT BP Endeavour (1967)
- MT BP Enterprise (1968)
- MV Australian Trader (1969)
- MV Darwin Trader (1970)
- Dredge Geopodes (1971) - Built for a Dutch company.
- Dredge WD Resolution (1971) - Built for Westminster Dredging.
- MV Lysaght Endeavour (1973)
- MV Lysaght Enterprise (1973)
- MT Express (1974)
- MT John Hunter (1975)
- MV Bass Trader 11 (1976)
- MV Flinders Range (1976)
- MV Selwyn Range (1977)
- MV Freshwater (1982)
- MV Queenscliff (1983) (1983) - This was the very last ship built at the dockyard.
- Lady-class ferries
- MV Lady Cutler (1968)
- MV Lady Woodward (1970)
- MV Lady McKell (1970)
- MV Lady Street (1979)
- MV Lady Herron (1979)
What Happened After Closure
Even many years after the dockyard closed, you could still see its history. In 2007, if you looked from above, you could still see the faint outline of the painted "STATE DOCKYARD" sign on the roof of the old building.
Surviving Ships Today
As of December 2023, some ships built by the State Dockyard are still in use! The Manly ferries MV Freshwater and MV Queenscliff (1983) are still operating. They are part of the Sydney Ferries service. Also, two former Sydney Harbour ferries, Lady Cutler and Lady McKell, are now used as cruise boats in Port Phillip.
Other ships built by the State Dockyard are no longer operating but still exist. The Cape Don, a ship built in 1962 to supply lighthouses, is now a museum ship. You can find it at Balls Head Bay in Waverton. The former Sydney ferry Lady Herron is currently stored in Newcastle.
