In search of an afterlife
HMAS Adelaide was decommissioned in 2008 and prepared for scuttling as a dive wreck during late 2009 and early 2010.
Her mast was removed, dangerous materials and toxins were removed, and access holes were cut in the ship's flanks.
She was originally intended to be sunk off Avoca Beach, New South Wales on 27 March 2010, 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) offshore from Avoca Beach, New South Wales, in 32 metres (105 ft) of water.
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| "The ex-HMAS Adelaide on Glebe Island wharf" 2010 oil on canvas 30 x 61 cm Sold $2,000
Enquiries about similar paintings - janecooperbennett@gmail.com
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By late 2009 the Baulderstone group had left the northern end of Glebe Island, leaving it clear for the ex- HMAS Adelaide.
At the southern end, the 'Thor Kis' arrived with cable which would later be laid under Port Botany.
McMahons Services started preparing the ex-HMAS Adelaide for scuttling, which was then earmarked for March 27th 2010.
At the southern end, the 'Thor Kis' arrived with cable which would later be laid under Port Botany.
McMahons Services started preparing the ex-HMAS Adelaide for scuttling, which was then earmarked for March 27th 2010.
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| 'Salt Truck at Glebe, with the 'Thevenard' 2010 oil on canvas 15 x 30cm |
Sold
Enquiries about similar paintings - janecooperbennett@gmail.com
For information and price list -Artist information page
In this painting you can see the ex- HMAS Adelaide lurking in the background behind a giant mound of salt being poured on the wharf from the salt ship 'CSL Thevenard'. This salt was then loaded into trucks and driven down to chemical plants at Port Botany.
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| Painting the 'Adelaide' on the wharf Enquiries about this painting - janecooperbennett@gmail.com
For information and price list -Artist information page
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| Painting the 'Adelaide' on the wharf Enquiries about this painting - janecooperbennett@gmail.com
For information and price list -Artist information page
|
These 2 photos show me at work on the painting shown below. This large canvas, 61 x 183cm, really pushed the boundaries of what is physically possible in plein air painting.
When it became windy I would have to lie the canvas flat on the ground, or I would end up chasing it and my easel all over the wharf.
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| My easel and palette - gone with the wind ! Painting Ex-HMAS Adelaide at Glebe Island wharf en plein air |
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| Ex-HMAS Adelaide at Glebe Island wharf -plein air oil painting 2011 oil on canvas 61 x 183cm |
$11,000
Enquiries about this painting - janecooperbennett@gmail.com
For information and price list -Artist information page
 |
| "The ex-HMAS Adelaide on Glebe Island wharf" 2011 oil on canvas 61 x 183 cm
$11,000
Enquiries about this painting - janecooperbennett@gmail.com
For information and price list -Artist information page
|
On the right hand side of this painting is the OES Barge. This finally left Glebe Island wharf for White Bay in June 2010, 1 day before leaving Sydney Harbour to lay cables under Botany Bay.
Over a year of apparently interminable rolling legal action ensued before the end of the saga.
Ex HMAS Adelaide was finally successfully sunk at midday on Wednesday April 13th. As if all the previous nail biting suspense hadn't been enough, there was over an hour long wait for an inquisitive pod of dolphins to move out of the area.
I watched and sketched its final moments above water barely 300 metres away from Andrew MacMahon's huge white boat "Strictly Business, which you can see in the distance in the painting below.
The next day I painted the same spot where the ship had been from the same vantage point next to the Skillion.
For a long time it had seemed as though the ship would remain in limbo.
All the drama was worth it in the end.
It has succeeded as an artificial reef beyond the wildest dreams of its creators.
Recently I was painting a commission at Chowder Bay, Clifton Gardens, which is the headquarters of SIMS, the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science. The marine scientists raved for hours about the wonderful diversity and abundance of marine species newly inhabiting the artificial reef.
Scuttlebutt
I had rushed to complete this, as some of the people on the wharf were quite interested in acquiring a work.
I needn't have hurried, as a literally last minute decision pulled the plug on the scuttling.Over a year of apparently interminable rolling legal action ensued before the end of the saga.
An appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal by a local and vocal
protest group 3 days before the sinking saw the project placed on hold until the case can be heard in full.
The case was originally to have been heard on 5 May, but was then postponed to July.
Finally the federal judge, Justice Garry Downes, president of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, approved the project but imposed stringent new conditions.
His decision ended a legal battle which had lasted almost six months. On 15 September, the Tribunal ruled that the scuttling of the ship could go ahead after the removal of any remaining wiring, canvas, insulation, and exfoliating red lead paint.
The delays caused by the tribunal hearing meant that instead of costing the original $5.8 million assigned to the scuttling project, the tribunal hearing, additional cleanup, and berthing fees brought the total cost to $8.5 million.
The ship was still there, looking a little forlorn until the dawn of April 11th when it embarked on its final triumphant journey to its final resting spot off North Avoca.
protest group 3 days before the sinking saw the project placed on hold until the case can be heard in full.
The case was originally to have been heard on 5 May, but was then postponed to July.
Finally the federal judge, Justice Garry Downes, president of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, approved the project but imposed stringent new conditions.
His decision ended a legal battle which had lasted almost six months. On 15 September, the Tribunal ruled that the scuttling of the ship could go ahead after the removal of any remaining wiring, canvas, insulation, and exfoliating red lead paint.
The delays caused by the tribunal hearing meant that instead of costing the original $5.8 million assigned to the scuttling project, the tribunal hearing, additional cleanup, and berthing fees brought the total cost to $8.5 million.
The ship was still there, looking a little forlorn until the dawn of April 11th when it embarked on its final triumphant journey to its final resting spot off North Avoca.
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| "Ex HMAS Adelaide departing Glebe Island at dawn" 2011 oil on canvas 112 x 183cm $13,000
Her last journey, accompanied by the 'Woona'. The other tug was hidden by the bulk of the ship.
I met up with her again in Terrigal, a couple of days before the sinking and painted her last moments before her new life as an artificial reef.
There was a dramatic viewpoint of her from a rocky cove beneath the imposing "Skillion". |
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| 'Ex HMAS Adelaide from the 'Skillion' at sunset '2011 oil on canvas 15 x 30cm $330 sold PRIVATE COLLECTION : TERRIGAL Enquiries about similar paintings :
For information and price list -Artist information page
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| "Ex HMAS Adelaide from the 'Skillion' the next morning" 2011 oil on canvas 25 x 51cm $1,400
For information and price list -Artist information page
I also painted her from a lookout next to the surf club at North Avoca Beach.
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| "Ex HMAS Adelaide from North Avoca" 2011 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm $2,000
For information and price list -Artist information page
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| Painting "Ex HMAS Adelaide from North Avoca" 2011 oil on canvas 31 x 61cm $2,000 |
Enquiries about this painting:
For information and price list -Artist information page
Ex HMAS Adelaide was finally successfully sunk at midday on Wednesday April 13th. As if all the previous nail biting suspense hadn't been enough, there was over an hour long wait for an inquisitive pod of dolphins to move out of the area.
I watched and sketched its final moments above water barely 300 metres away from Andrew MacMahon's huge white boat "Strictly Business, which you can see in the distance in the painting below.
The next day I painted the same spot where the ship had been from the same vantage point next to the Skillion.
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| Painting the Adelaide from North Avoca 13th April 2011 ''Strictly Business' from the 'Skillion' Terrigal (Adelaide underwater) ' oil on canvas 31 x 61cm $2,000
For information and price list -Artist information page
|
For a long time it had seemed as though the ship would remain in limbo.
All the drama was worth it in the end.
It has succeeded as an artificial reef beyond the wildest dreams of its creators.
Recently I was painting a commission at Chowder Bay, Clifton Gardens, which is the headquarters of SIMS, the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science. The marine scientists raved for hours about the wonderful diversity and abundance of marine species newly inhabiting the artificial reef.
Related articles
Related posts in this blog
Related posts in this blog
- Ghost ship - ex-HMAS Adelaide at Glebe - Part 1
- Ship to Shore - the 11th annual exhibition by the Australian Society of Marine Artists at Mosman Regional Art Gallery (janebennettartist.blogspot.com)
- Two Ships in dock (janebennettartist.blogspot.com)
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This is great. I'm following your blog now. :)
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