HMAS Koala
From Our Contribution
 Navy photo | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | HMAS Koala |
| Owner | Royal Australian Navy |
| Builder | Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Co, Sydney |
| Launched | 4 Nov 1939 |
| Completed | 6 Feb 1940 |
| In service | 7 Feb 1940 |
| Out of service | 18 Apr 1957 |
| Fate | sank in the Brisbane River Jan 1974 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Boom Working Vessel |
| Tonnage | 768 tons |
| Length | 178 feet 9 inches |
| Beam | 32 feet 3 inches |
| Depth | 11 feet 3 inches |
| Propulsion | Triple expansion inverted cylinder |
| Speed | 11.5 knots |
| Capacity | 32 crew |
Remarks
On 9 Apr 1940 HMAS Koala sailed for Darwin from Sydney, arriving there 20 days later. Following the first of the air raids on Darwin on 19 Feb 1942, she was transferred to Brisbane, returning to Darwin on 5 Jun 1942. She continued to perform boom defence duties until 30 Apr 1945.
Post World War II, she served in eastern and western Australian waters in addition to New Guinea waters, on harbour related tasks. On 8 Nov 1956 her sea going service ended in Sydney, after having steamed almost 80,000 nautical miles. Placed in Reserve on 18 Apr 1947, she was sold in 1969 for use as a gravel barge in Brisbane. During the flooding of the Brisbane River in 1974 she broke free of her moorings and severely damaged the Centenary Bridge where she was sunk.
Armament - Guns - 1 x 12 pounder 12 cwt in High Angle Mk IV mounting on aft boat deck; 1 x .303 Lewis Machine Gun; 1 x .303 Vickers Machine Gun; 2 x .30 inch Marlin Machine Gun.
Battle Honours
- Darwin 1942-43
Crew members
- George Graham Pike 19 Nov 1946 - 14 Mar 1947 or later