HMAS Brisbane : Engine Room : Gauge Board

The engine room gauge board is a large alloy panel, rectangular in shape, with various gauges and pieces of equipment attached. Many of the gauges have been removed - the upper half of the board has been heavily stripped, seven (7) gauges have been removed* and only two (2) remain ' one with a silver metal rim and the other with an orange rim. In three of the holes left by the removed gauges electrical plugs and equipment remain. The lower half of the board fares a bit better, although two (2) large gauges have been removed with only the circular outline remaining. On the lower left side of the board two (2) PSIG pressure gauges remain, with a small metal pipe also in place. A red warning plate is also attached, which reads `Warning: Morpholine Condensate Treatment System ' operator must wear eye protection, rubber gloves and an apron.' It also advises to seek medical attention if splashed with Morpholine solution. In the mid-section of the gauge board four pieces of equipment remain. Three gauges (two rectangular, one circular) and a grey metal power unit. There are two mounting points for the wheels on this board. A small circular brass-based light also remains. On the lower right side of the board is a brass plate with four indicator lights and a plate that reads `Salinity Sys Alm ' cells 7810 CKT2SB. The brass needs a gentle clean. Next to the brass plate are two (2) grey circular metal units of some sort. A small section of cable is protruding from the base of each unit. The gauge board is bolted to the engine room wall via bolts in each of the four corners and several bolts on the body of the board. There are also several brackets attached to the back of the board for wall mounting. Attached to the base of the board via brackets are two (2) push button control switches, activated by contact with the wheel. The brass plate on each reads `ASTERN THROTTLE ' WRONG DIR' and `AHEAD THROTTLE ' WRONG DIR'.

This component was removed from HMAS Brisbane after the ship was de-commissioned in 2001. The Gauge Board was fitted in the Engine Room. It was removed by dividing it into two sections (REL32981.002 and REL32981.003). The board mounts indicators that provide information on the ship's engines and associated machinery. 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, Brisbane 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. Main armament was two 5-inch/54 calibre guns and anti-submarine torpedoes. The Ikara missile system was subsequently added. In later service the ship was known by the nick-name ‘the Steel Cat’. The 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), Brisbane was one of four Australian warships to serve a tour in Gulf waters. The Brisbane arrived in the Gulf in December 1990 and operated there until March 1991, performing a number of roles. 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, the Brisbane controlled fighter combat air patrols and tanker aircraft. The ship’s final role was as an escort for US replenishment ships. In 2003 HMAS Brisbane was retired from service in the Royal Australian Navy. The Brisbane was the last steam powered ship in the RAN. HMAS Brisbane was sunk as a recreational dive wreck off the coast of southern Queensland in July 2005.