River Class Frigate, HMAS Diamantina, Brisbane

[carojon]

Earlier this year I was very happy to spend a glorious few days in the great Australian city of Brisbane, enjoying the weather, food and history of this most interesting of city's.



As part of our exploring the south bank of the Brisbane River, I by chance came across the Queensland Maritime Museum, which is home to a marvellous collection of items relating to Australia's and Queensland's history with the sea, and holds a real gem, with the only remaining example of a WWII River Class Frigate on display in the old South Brisbane Dry Dock.



If you would like to know more then just follow the link to JJ's

https://jjwargames.blogspot.com/2023/08/jjs-on-tour-city-of-brisbane-and.html

JJ

[carlos marighela]

Ah Brisvegas! It's certainly changed and for largely the better over the past 40 years but I can honestly say I've never heard the words 'most interesting of cities' applied to Brisbane, certainly not in a non-ironic sense. 

Last time I was there I noted that Fortitude Valley had changed out of all recognition but the Breakfast Creek Hotel was still providing a decent feed.

If you ever get to Melbourne there's a lovely example of a Bathurst class corvette, HMAS Castlemaine, tied up at Williamstown not far from where she was built. Well worth a visit.

[Tom Dulski]

AMAZING blog by the way, I see we also share an interest in birds!

[carojon]

Hi Chaps,
Thanks for your comments, glad you enjoyed the read.

TD - Yes bird spotting has been another passion for many years and I find it ties in very well with a bit of travel and so the camera is always to hand for that and the military stuff.

CM - Ha, glad you got a different take on a familiar place, I have had a similar experience reading visitors impressions of towns here in Blighty and I guess it really does point to the old truism ‘familiarity breeds contempt’.

We were in Melbourne a few weeks prior to our trip to Brisbane but Castlemaine will have to go on the bucket list. That said we did fill our stay with lots of stuff including test cricket at the MCG and penguins on Phillip Island so I might have struggled to persuade senior management to include a WWII corvette.

Cheers
JJ

[carlos marighela]

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

If you do ever return then put Queenscliff and Point Nepean National Park on your list. In the 19th C Melbourne was the most heavily defended city in the Empire for a while and of course the 'first shots' of the British Empire in the Great War took place at Fort Nepean as a German merchantman attempted to leave the heads. There's a somewhat more specious claim made for the same battery in WW2.  It's a fascinating spot and also near the site of where one of our Prime Minister's either

a) Drowned after being a dickhead and diving in notoriously dangerous waters at Cheviot Beach while on a sneaky weekend away with his mistress.*

b) Was picked up by a Chinese submarine.

You choose, according to taste. Suffice it to say that the Australian sense of humour ran to naming not one but two swimming pools in his honour, one in Vietnam and one still extant one in Melbourne.

Fort Queenscliff s also worth a visit having one of the few extant examples of an 8"BL  disappearing gun, still mounted in place.

[AKULA]

Carojan - all credit on an excellent blog!

Carlos - thank you for introducing me to the phrase "to do a Harold Holt" ... you learn something every day 

[carojon]

AKULA - thank you very much appreciated.

Carlos - As they say ‘never say never’ I’d love to make a return visit to Oz if my old frame will still be fit enough to do the trip and thank you for the recommendation, duly noted.

I love the Aussie sense of humour, with a dry banter that is very familiar.

All the best chaps
JJ