The HMQS Gayundah, Woody Point, Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia
How nice it is have this ship wreck only a 30 minute drive away. HMQS Gayundah was a flat-iron gunboat operated by the Queensland Maritime Defence Force and later the Royal Australian Navy (as HMAS Gayundah). She entered service in 1884 and was used to protect the coast line with its many bays and estuaries. In 1903 became the first warship within Australia to use wireless telegraphy. In later years, the Gayundah became a tender sea ship and a mine sweeper.
In 1921, she was decommissioned and sold to a civilian company and was stripped and converted into a gravel barge and used in Brisbane until the late 1950s when she was scrapped. In 1958, Gayundah was run aground at Woody Point near Redcliffe to serve as a breakwater structure. She is now a rusted shell and it may be a sad ending but Gayundah still protects the Australian shoreline from erosion, well for a little longer at least.
[Source1] [Source 2]
That looks close to total disintegration. I love the colour in the first one.
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Thanks Lignum. Yes there’s not much of it left now and it probably won’t last much longer. There was talk of removing it so I’m glad I got to photograph it while it’s still half standing.
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Hello Norma 🙂 , what a great set of images and you have captured her so well 🙂 🙂
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Thanks very much Nigel, it was a little exciting doing this one. It’s not every day you see an old ship wreck. Thanks for visiting 🙂
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That is interesting that it just sits on the beach – Judy
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Yes I thought it was interesting too Judy. Thanks for visiting 🙂
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Very cool shots!
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Thanks very much Rob 🙂
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What fab photos Norma.and what stories those remains must still hold! The colour of the sky in the first photo is wonderful! xx
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Thanks Christine. It was great fun shooting this one and I love the history behind it 🙂
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How cool that this serves a function to help keep erosion down – brilliant. and wow – it was first to have “wireless telegraphy” – reminds us as to how far we have come with tech – to where we now have little wireless computers (phones) in our pockets!
oh – and your artist photos are gorgeous – and I love how the bottom photo is long and anchors the top collage – the rocks in the bottom just have this settling effect for the pics above – just a nice placement.
have a great week. 🙂
~yvette
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Oh thank you very much Yvette! It’s great to see your appreciation of my post. I love history and this is such a great story. I don’t know if she’ll last much longer but I’m really glad I got to tell it.
And you’re right about how far we’ve come. It’s quite an eye opener isn’t it. Thanks for the visit 🙂
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oh you are so welcome – and I am really glad our blog paths have crossed at this time – :)O
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Hi there, I just wanted to let you know that you have been nominated for the One Lovely Blog award 🙂 http://pinkdustydreams.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/one-lovely-blog-award
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Makes a good photo op anyway!
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