HMQS Gayundah - Woody Point, Queensland, Australia
S 27° 15.695 E 153° 06.445
56J E 510632 N 6984587
This metal skeleton of a gunboat sits below Woody Point Cliffs.
Waymark Code: WM17ZPD
Location: Queensland, Australia
Date Posted: 04/28/2023
Views: 0
The Gayundah was built in England as Queensland's first boat to enter their fledgling navy and commissioned 28 October 1884. It was later decommissioned on 23 August 1918, sold to gravel company that used it on the Brisbane River. A historical marker is by the concrete footpath at the top of the cliffs, and it has the following inscription:
HMQS Gayundah
"The remains of HMQS Gayundah can be seen at the base of the cliffs below. The gunboat, said to be named after an Aboriginal word for lightning, was the first of Queensland's projected navy. Built for the Queensland Government by Sir William Armstrong Mitchell and Co of Newcastle upon Tyne, the Gayundah arrived in Brisbane on 27 March, 1885.
"She was a twin screw vessel, which meant she was powered by two horizontal direct action compound steam engines. The Gayundah was designed for a maximum speed of 10 knots and carried up to 75 tonnes of coal which allowed her to travel up to 1300 kilometres at a time.
"In 1886, the Gayundah was granted the privilege of wearing the White Ensign and Pendant of her Majesty's fleet. It was the first time any colonial ship had done so.
"Her chief duty was the protection of the Queensland coastline and the vessel was fitted out with a six-inch Armstrong gun protruding over the stern, an eight-inch breech loading twelve tonne gun, and two Nordenfeldt guns on the forecastle.
"After Federation in 1901 the Gayundah was retained in the Australian Navy and used as a training ship. In the early 1900s she made history by being the first warship in Australia to operate wireless telegraphy successfully.
"A structurally altered Gayundah acted as a guardship and patrol vessel during World War I. She was sold in 1921 to Brisbane Gravel Pty Ltd and was used as a sand and gravel barge on the Brisbane River. In 1958, Redcliffe Town Council purchased the Gayundah and she was beached in her current location to serve as a breakwater."
Visited: 0940, Saturday, 23 July, 2022