'The Weight' : HMA ships Hobart II, Perth II and Brisbane II

Pair of cut down steel 5 inch, 54 calibre naval cartridge cases, each stamped on the base '5 IN MK9 MOD O 54 CAL O II NIV-0968 DR 517536 C'. The cases are separated by a steel rod, giving the resulting artifact the appearance of a body builder's training weight or barbell. Rectangular brass plates have been attached to both cases. The upper plate is impressed 'THE WEIGHT'. The lower plate is impressed with the name of each ship, their tactical call sign and dates of one of the operations in which they participated during the Vietnam War: 'HMAS HOBART PACIFIC OCEAN 30 MAR 70 - 28 SEP 70/ HMAS PERTH JURISDICTION 29 SEP 70 - 30 MAR 71/ HMAS BRISBANE FLAMBUOYANT [Sic] 31 MAR - 29 SEP 71'.

This 'Weight' symbolises the responsibility of command carried by the captains of the four Royal Australian Navy destroyers attached to the United States 7th Fleet during the Vietnam War. Based at Subic Bay in the Philippines, nine successive deployments to Vietnam were undertaken by the ships between 7 March 1967 and 15 October 1971; the Daring class destroyer HMAS Vendetta II, and Charles F Adams class guided missile destroyers HMA ships Hobart II, Perth II and Brisbane II. Each deployment lasted six months with each ship repeatedly tasked with duties on the gunline in support of operations ashore. On completion of the deployment the ship returned to Subic Bay, where a ceremony was held to mark the official transfer of the 'Weight' to the captain of the relieving ship.

The expression 'the weight of command' describes the inability of a ship's captain to escape the responsibility and loneliness of command at sea. Naval ceremonies marking the transfer of a 'weight' may involve the transfer of any type of physical object, or no object at all.