HMAS Castlemaine J-244, Bathurst Class Minesweeper

{All Images are my own, reproduction permitted on request. High resolution files are available.}

This page is respectfully dedicated to the Officers and Men that served in HMAS Castlemaine, and especially to the amazing volunteers that painstakingly care for this outstanding monument to the Bathurst Class and to the Australian Navy. Our deepest gratitude goes out to Mr. Kevin Dunn and Family for making the visit possible, and for their gracious hospitality. This page would not exist if not for their efforts.

HMAS Castlemaine is berthed in Williamstown, Melbourne, Australia, and is a must see for naval and history enthusiasts, and also for those who remember, and honor those who won our freedom through great personal hardship and sacrifice.

	HMAS Castlemaine.
	650 tons; length 186 feet; Beam 31 feet; Draft 8'3.
	Built by Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners, Melbourne.
	Laid down, February 17, 1941; Launched August 7, 1941, by Mrs.R.G. Menzies.
	She could also carry 30 normal depth charges and 20 heavy duty charges.
	Ships complement; 70 Officers and men.
	Speed 15 knots
	Range 4000 Nautical Miles at 10 knots.
	HMAS Castlemaine cost 250,000 Pounds when built.
	2 Yarrow Admiralty 3 drum boilers, feeding 2 triple expansion steam engines, producing 1800 IHP.
	She is one of 60 Australian Minesweepers built during World War 2.
	They are properly classified as "Corvettes".
	All 56 built for the Royal Australian Navy were named after cities and towns,
	The other four were built for the Indian Navy as part of the Commonwealth wartime shipbuilding program.
	HMAS Castlemaine is the last of the 60 still afloat, her sister HMAS Whyalla is on land in her namesake city.
	She provided convoy escort between Sydney and Melbourne in her early days.
	Commissioned June 17, 1942.
	Armament (as built): One 4 inch Gun, three Oerlikon guns, two .05 Machine Guns
	August 11, 1942 saw her in a collision with the Manly Ferry, resulting in a 7 day yard period for repairs.
	These ships could carry 300 troops in an emergency, or 100 over a four day period, as fresh water capacity was 40 tons.
	Aft Oerlikon was replaced by a Bofors mount.
	She took up Survey Duties at Darwin until August 16th, 1945.
	At the end of the war, she proceeded via Morotai and Thursday Island to Melbourne.
	She paid off on December 16, 1945 after steaming 117,000 Nautical Miles.
	HMAS Catlemaine along with many sisters and River Class Frigates became part of the mothball fleet at Geelong.
	She became a stationary training ship at HMAS Cerberus, naval depot.
	After 15 years service as training ship she was put up for disposal in 1969.
	In 1973, she was gifted to the Maritime Trust of Australia for preservation, all but a gutted hulk.
	In 1974 she was towed to Melbourne by volunteers.
	Painstakingly restored with parts gathered from Australia and Nw Zealand, again all by the efforts of volunteers.
	The ship is always looking for volunteers with a range of skills.
	Now, captions describe the pictures....View of the Bofors from the Sweep Deck.
	Midships looking aft, large black object is a sea mine.
	Midships looking forward.
	Ships boat on davits.
	Another view of the Bofors and the sweep winches.
	View of the sweep deck.
	A Carley Float.
	Ventilators.
	Midships looking forward.
	Rear of the aft Bofors.
	Aft deckhouse.
	Looking aft.
	Looking aft from superstructure.
	Looking forward from superstructure.
	View of back of the gun mount.
	Bridge windows.
	Radar Mast.
	Behind the superstructure.
	Forward gun.
	Close up of 4 incher.
	Another view.
	View forward from the gun mount.
	Machine gun platform.
	Machine Gun.
	Anchor winches.
	View aft from bridge wing.
	Signal light.
	Ships Whaler.
	Platform for Port Machine Gun.
	Signal flag locker.
	Machine gun.
	Head on.
	Nice view from the pier.
	Heritage plaque.
	View forward from the Fantail.
	View forward.
	Radar Mast.
	View of the 4 inch gun breech.
	View forward from the bridgewing.
	Under the davits.
	Mechanical sweeps.
	Machine gun shield.
	Close up of the Machine gun. Coming soon, interior pictorial, stay tuned.
	Next up, Operation Northern Trident...RAN ships visit my hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia, departing Sydney 2 days after I did...