Decommissioning and Fate
On 31 August 1954, Australia was paid off and marked for disposal. She had been in service for 26 years, the longest career of a RAN warship to that date. The ship was sold on 25 January 1955 to the British Iron & Steel Corporation (Salvage) for scrapping. On 26 March, the cruiser was towed from Sydney Harbour by the Dutch-flagged tugboat Rode Zee. The ships were later joined by two other tugs for the voyage to Barrow-in-Furness via the Suez Canal, where they arrived on 5 July. Australia was broken up at Thomas Ward Shipbreaking Yard at Barrow-in-Furness over the course of 1956.
One of the cruiser's 8-inch gun barrels is on display outside the Australian War Memorial. A memorial to the ship's company, particularly those killed during World War II, was unveiled at Henley Beach, South Australia on 1 May.
Read more about this topic: HMAS Australia (D84)
Famous quotes containing the word fate:
“What generous beliefs console
The brave whom Fate denies the goal!
If others reach it, is content:
To Heaven’s high will his will is bent.
Firm on his heart relied,
What lot soe’er betide,
Work of his hand
He nor repents nor grieves,
Pleads for itself the fact,
As unrepenting Nature leaves
Her every act.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)