Garden Island, Sydney - naval base since 1856. New residents want RAN ships gone 'cause they block the views!
Wednesday, 18 March 2015
HMAS Kuttabul is the naval base that takes in Garden Island, Sydney. Here's the Wikipedia entry:
Garden Island itself has been host to a naval base since 1856, when the government of New South Wales suggested giving the area over to the Royal Navy as a base for ships serving on the Australia Station. Following the foundation of the Royal Australian Navy in 1911, all naval establishments were given over by the UK to the RAN. However, until 1939, the ownership of Garden Island itself was in dispute, with NSW claiming it as its property. This was solved when the Australian government initially requisitioned the island (together with the naval base) under emergency wartime powers. The government then purchased Garden Island from NSW for £638,000 in 1945.
Ships have been there since 1856. I think the area is used to it. Well mostly - today's Wentworth Courier reports on the whinge from people who moved in some time after the ships.
CITY EAST
Residents fume as HMAS Canberra blocks their view, keeps them awake and now there’s another one on the way
- NICK HANSEN
- WENTWORTH COURIER
- MARCH 18, 2015 10:16AM
- Warship blocking harbour views for residents in city’s east
- Defence dept says 27.5m high HMAS Canberra is not going anywhere
- 24-hour generators and noise keeping locals awake
- A second ship set to be docked at the Garden Island base
THIS is the wall of grey which residents of Wolloomooloo and Potts Point now wake up to — that’s if they’ve managed to get to sleep.
They say the 27,800 tonne HMAS Canberra has obliterated their views of the harbour, spewed oil fumes into their homes and kept them awake with the groan of engines and generators since it arrived to fanfare in November.
“It’s just so depressing ... it’s all those things and they’re constant,” said one resident, Catherine Regan.
But the Department of Defence has confirmed, not only will the 27.5m-high helicopter landing dock stay indefinitely at the Garden Island base, she will be joined by sister vessel NUSHIP Adelaide before the end of the year.