Australian Navy’s retired Bathurst class corvette HMAS Castlemaine recently received a new paint job in Williamstown, Australia.
BAE Systems’ Williamstown shipyard conducted hull cleaning and painting works on the vessel which is the last Australian-built Bathurst class corvettes to serve in the second World War.
After the works were concluded, Castlemaine went back to Gem Pier.
The vessel, named for the city of Castlemaine, Victoria, was one of 60 Bathurst-class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Australian Navy.
Launched in 1941 and commissioned in 1942, Castlemaine operated during World War II in the waters of Australia, New Guinea, and Timor. She remained in service until 1945, when she was decommissioned into reserve and converted into an immobilised training ship. In 1973, Castlemaine was presented to the Maritime Trust of Australia for conversion of a museum ship. She is one of two surviving examples of the Bathurst class, the other being HMAS Whyalla.
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Naval Today Staff, Image: BAE Systems