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Decommissioned Royal Australian Navy Fremantle Class patrol boat, HMAS Townsville, has been relocated as part of a permanent public display undertaken by Port of Townsville and the Maritime Museum of Townsville.
The patrol boat, named after the city of Townsville, was decommissioned in Cairns and gifted to the museum by the Department of Defence in 2007 after an extensive career starting with its commissioning in July 1981.
The vessel’s hull was refurbished in Cairns during 2015 and 2016 before mooring at the Townsville Marine Precinct. It has now been relocated to the Curtain Brothers slipway on Ross Street in Townsville.
Port of Townsville is partnering with the Maritime Museum of Townsville to relocate the vessel to a disused slipway on Ross Creek where it will be put on permanent public display in July 2025.
“We’ve partnered with the Maritime Museum of Townsville to relocate HMAS Townsville to the old Curtain Brothers slipway on Ross Street,” according to a Port of Townsville statement.
“The HMAS Townsville relocation is part of the port’s commitment to enhance the amenity of the Ross Creek waterfront and improve public access from Lighthouse Park on Palmer Street through to Quayside Terminal.
“Following the relocation, footpath upgrades will be undertaken to improve connectivity between Quayside Terminal and Palmer Street; and a viewing platform will be installed adjacent to HMAS Townsville.
“The city’s namesake vessel will be able to be viewed from Ross Street in just a few weeks by locals and visitors to our city.
HMAS Townsville, based at Cairns Naval Base, has previously served as a convoy escort vessel in the waters of Australia, the Pacific and New Guinea during World War II. The ship’s company was comprised of three to five officers, four senior sailors and 16 junior sailors.
The 42-metre-long vessel had a range of 2,360 nautical miles at 12 knots and a maximum speed of almost 30 knots powered by a pair of 16 cylinder MTU diesel engines. It was also equipped with high-definition navigational radar, GPS satellite equipment, high and ultra-high frequency communications equipment, gyro compasses, echo sounder, two 12.7mm 50-calibre close range machine guns and 40/60 Bofors gun.
