April 9th, 2023Councillors drop in on HMAS Castlemaine

On Thursday 23 March, Mount Alexander Shire Councillors visited Gem Pier in Williamstown to take a tour of the historic ship, HMAS Castlemaine.

Commonly known as a corvette, the heritage-registered HMAS Castlemaine was named after our town. Constructed during World War II, the ship undertook campaigns in wartime throughout the Pacific, Darwin and New Guinea before it was de-commissioned in 1945.

Since 1974, volunteers with the Maritime Trust of Australia have worked to maintain and restore the ship to its former historic glory.

The group now operate tours of the HMAS Castlemaine, where it is docked at Gem Pier in Williamstown. Visitors are able to experience how crews lived and worked during wartime, and learn more about aspects of Australia’s maritime history.

Mount Alexander Shire Council’s Mayor Rosie Annear said she was thrilled to be invited on board the HMAS Castlemaine, and to see the efforts being made to preserve a piece of history.

“The amount of time and effort that’s gone into restoring the ship is just incredible”, said Mayor Annear.

“Everyone involved is a volunteer, and they live and breathe HMAS Castlemaine! The ship is filled with historical items that all relate to that era – there’s original compasses, cutlasses, and a Morse code unit has even been hooked up!”

“The level of historic detail on the ship is amazing, and each of the pieces of memorabilia create an ‘authentic’ experience of what life would have been like on board, during her heyday.”

During their visit, Councillors were presented with framed historical photographs of the HMAS Castlemaine, along with a plaque made from timber from the ship’s original mast.

“It’s a real honour to receive these gifts that have been so thoughtfully and generously made for us”, said Mayor Annear.