HMAS Parramatta wreck - Bar Point, New South Wales, Australia

Welcome back PHG fans, today we're headed to Bar Point, Australia, roughly an hour north of Sydney, New South Wales. There's a famous wreck here, HMAS Parramatta. The ship saw extensive service during the First World War, particularly the capture of German New Guinea and New Britain in 1914. Later in the war, the ship served in the the China and Philippine Seas, where she became the first Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ship to sink a submarine. Parramatta also served in the Mediterranean, protecting Allied convoys and performing ant-submarine duties.

HMAS Parramatta during the First World War. Photo courtesy of the Australia Sea Power Centre

Post-war, Parramatta was placed in reserve and never left Australian waters again.  There was a push to use the ship as an accommodation vessel (a prison barge) on the Hawkesbury River; this plan was never realized. In1929, the ship was marked for dismantling with HMAS Swan, and both were towed to the Cockatoo Dockyards.A plan to use the ship as a place for fishermen to live and work similarly failed.

There were two attempts at turning the ship into a museum, but neither measure was successful. A storm later set the ship adrift, where she settled in the mud. In 1973, the bow and stern sections were removed and set as memorial pieces, and the rest of the ship remains as a wreck near Milson Island.

Pacific History Guide is always on the lookout for historical sites, so if you have one in your local area, let us know! We give full credit to those who send us ideas and help with the website.

Happy exploring!

Tony