By Engelbert Schmidl
A SMALL but significant piece of Australian naval history was unveiled in the mess deck of the HMAS Castlemaine, the museum ship docked at Gem Pier, Williamstown, on Sunday.
Celebrating its 65th anniversary of commissioning, the World War II minesweeper turned permanent naval museum hosted dignitaries and maritime buffs for the unveiling of a beautifully replicated scale model of the HMVS Cerberus.
The event held special importance for the volunteers of the Maritime Trust of Victoria, who maintain the HMAS Castlemaine museum, as preserving HMVS Cerberus was an impetus for the establishment of the museum 37 years ago.
Maritime Trust secretary Peter Williams said the HMVS Cerberus was an important part of Australian naval history and the scale model served to keep its legacy alive.
HMVS Cerberus was the first major British warship entirely powered by steam.
She arrived in Melbourne in 1871 and served until 1920 when she was scuttled.
The rusted remains of the vessel can still be sighted in the shallow waters of Half Moon Bay, just off Black Rock.
Sarah and Baillieu Myer AC gifted the Cerberus model to the museum.
Mr Myer, patron of the Maritime Trust, commended the volunteers who kept the HMAS Castlemaine museum going over some lean years.
He said running a floating museum was a labour of love and could often prove a difficult and expensive endeavour.
Serving navy Lieutenant Commander Robert Taylor, who is stationed at the Cerberus base in Flinders, said the model underlined the role tradition played in naval life.
“The whole navy is still based on tradition,” he said.
“When you pass on that tradition, it’s important to have models like this.”
Wally St John did the delicate work of creating the scaled down likeness of the HMVS Cerberus.
A professional modeller for 25 years, Mr St John spent nine months meticulously working from original plans and photographs to recreate the ship in its circa 1880s glory.
The new model is part of the permanent exhibition on the historic Williamstown museum ship.
