Captain's chair: HMAS Brisbane bridge

The chair has a metal base and frame, the seat is upholstered in leather and consists of seat cushion and adjustable back and head- rest. The seat is a Holden Special Vehicle type, with the Holden HSV logo embossed on the front. The chair is well padded with supports for the thighs, arms and head. The arm-rests are made of varnished timber.

This component was removed from HMAS Brisbane after the ship was de-commissioned in 2001. The Captain's chair is situated in the mid-section of the bridge on the far starboard side.

HMAS Brisbane [II] was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy in December 1967 and was the second vessel of that name to serve in the RAN. Known officially as DDG-41, it was the third of the RAN's American-built 'Charles F. Adams' class guided-missiles destroyers. This class were the first major Australian warships designed and built in America, and were constructed by the Defoe Shipbuilding Co. The original complement of the Brisbane was 20 officers and over 300 sailors. HMAS Brisbane saw operational service in two conflicts. During the Vietnam War the ship undertook two tours of duty with the United States Seventh Fleet, in 1969 and again in 1971. The ship’s major task was to provide gunfire support for the land campaign.

During the Gulf War (1990-91), HMAS Brisbane was one of four Australian warships to serve a tour in Gulf waters, arriving in the Gulf in December 1990 and operating there until March 1991. Apart from contributing to the anti-aircraft defences in the carrier screen, the ship also kept watch for mines and ensured that small civilian craft kept well away from the carrier group. Later, during Operation Desert Storm, HMAS Brisbane controlled fighter combat air patrols and tanker aircraft. The ship’s final role was as an escort for American replenishment ships. In 2003 HMAS Brisbane was retired from service in the Royal Australian Navy and was sunk as a recreational dive wreck off the coast of southern Queensland in July 2005.