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SHIP SHAPE: Work continues on the upper deck of the HMAS Whyalla.
Vital restoration work is continuing on the HMAS Whyalla with community contributions going a long way to preserving our iconic vessel.
An ongoing $100,000 three to five-year maintenance plan is being funded under Council’s capital works and donations from the community. Gold-coin entry events at the Visitor and Information Centre have raised important funds towards this project with the work being carried out by a local contractor and community service group.
The first stage of the project has seen ActiveWeld Solutions performing some major work on the upper deck after winning a tender while workers from Uniting SA Wesley Social Enterprises group are chipping in every Friday with some necessary follow up work.
ActiveWeld Solutions is a recently established Whyalla company by Chris Fewster while Wesley Social Enterprises is a UnitingSA service offering a variety of supported employment options for people with a disability.
BIG JOB: Chris Fewster prepares for another of work on the HMAS Whyalla.
Visitor Operations Coordinator Teresa Coles said the focus of the latest work was to ensure the HMAS Whyalla, the iconic landlocked ship at the information centre and Maritime Museum precinct, remain water tight.
“Making her (the HMAS Whyalla) water tight is the biggest issues with some rust appearing in the upper deck,” Teresa said.
“This is the very initial stage of this maintenance plan with ActiveWeld Solutions fixing up a lot of rusted sections that have been leaking.
“Wesley Social Enterprising group members are then coming along to clean up some of the rust and do some sealing work.
“We’ll then move to cleaning up the guns and onto the funnels and bridge which needs some major repairs.”
Teresa said the community donations through events at the Visitor and Information Centre were contributing to the major project and ancillary projects around the ship.
“Events like the Illuminart display on the ship, with gold coin donations, are helping in many ways,” Teresa said.
“These funds recently assisted in having the karly floats refurbished and other work people in the community can rightly claim to have helped with their generosity.”
The HMAS Whyalla remains safe for visitors with tours conducted daily at 11.30am and 1.30pm. Access to the ship is by guided tour only and ship tours may be restricted or modified in extreme weather conditions.
Contact the Visitor and Information Centre on (08) 8645 7900 or Free Call: 1800 088 589 or email visitor.centre@whyalla.sa.gov.au for more information.