Content
HMAS Brisbane being researched
3 February 2007
On the 31 July 2005 the ex-Navy ship HMAS Brisbane, over 130 metres long, was spectacularly scuttled off the heads between Alex and Mooloolaba. Thousands of people watched, and a commemorative structure has been erected at the Headland.
The ship will become an artificial reef and is already providing world-class diving opportunities.
A preliminary report has recently been produced by five researchers from USC and the Queensland Museum that tracks what has happened around the wreck in the last 12-18 months, focussing on mainly the biological aspects.
The research team divided the wreck into a number of sectors and they then conducted swimming transects of around 45 minutes, recording as they swam, to gauge the development of life forms associated with the Brisbane.
Even in the short space of time that has elapsed, the research report shows conclusively that the wreck is becoming an artificial reef and supporting a wide range of life, including 150 species of fish and 103 species of invertebrates. Yet the diversity of life on the wreck appears, at this stage, lower compared to natural reefs in the area.
The researchers state that although the wreck is visited by a large number of divers, there is not ready access to information for residents and tourists who are also interested in this marine asset. An ‘ex-HMAS Brisbane website’ is proposed, to include updates, educational information and press releases.
So that we can all learn more about the value of this wreck, the continued partnership between the University and the State Government’s EPA/QPWS units is going to be important.
It would be a pity if after the spectacular sinking, then the memorial, all was subsequently forgotten. The ongoing collaboration and research will help us learn more about this important structure and how the artificial reef is evolving, and hopefully being able to communicate this to an increasingly aware public.
Professor Paul Thomas AM is Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Sunshine Coast.