The HM Victorian Ship Cerberus was a pioneering ship built in Jarrow on Tyne in 1867 for service in the Victorian Colonial navy. The ship was designed for coastal defence so was a turret monitor was proposed, however, the need to make a lengthy ocean journey meant the ship required additional sea-keeping.
This was achieved by mounting the turrets and superstructure atop an armored breastwork on top of the hull. The elevated position also improved the turrets' field of fire and protected the guns from spray. Two Coles turrets mounted four 10 inch rifled muzzle loading cannons.
For the first time the designers dispensed with a sailing rig, mounting only a short observation mast. This concept would be repeated in the larger, seagoing class HMS Devastation and Thunderer, which followed in 1871 (below).
For the journey to Australia in 1870, the main deck was elevated up to the level of the breastwork. This improved the ship's sea-keeping, but it still proved to be a hazardous journey and the ship almost foundered in a storm. A large part of the ship's handling problems were her engines, which proved to extremely under-powered. This forced the Cerberus to return to England, where she was fitted with a barque sailing rig to assist her engines. This did nothing however to improve the ship's handling and was almost lost a second time in a storm.
The Cerberus eventually arrived in the Victorian Colony in April 1871, having transited the Mediterranean, the Suez canal and the Indian and Great Southern Ocean. She was made flagship of the Victorian Colonial navy and would serve her time in Port Philip Bay, south of Melbourne.
Her career was uneventful as Australia never faced any military threat. One of the most notable incidents in her career was her accidentally firing a shot into the suburbs of Melbourne during an exercise. Fortunately no one was killed.
By the 1890s the Cerberus was already obsolete and she ceased active service. Her engines, which had never been good, were ineffective and her mussel loading guns useless. She was used a store ship for a time.
In 1921 the Cerberus was struck from the effective list and renamed the Platypus II. She served as a submarine tender until 1924, when she was sold for scrap. After stripping whatever salvageable machinery and fittings, she was purchased by the Sandringham City Council, who used her as a breakwater.
The Cerberus photographed in Half Moon Bay in 1953. The ship had been run aground in shallow water as a breakwater. The solidity of the ship's construction meant that she remained in relatively good condition until the early 2000s.
By the 2000s the Cerberus began to show signs of structural collapse. The ship had settled further into the sand and the deck was awash. The breastwork, onto which the turrets were mounted, began to sag. The Friends of the Cerberus group presented numerous proposals to remove the turrets and move them ashore. Heritage funds were granted to the local council and the Victorian Department of Heritage to investigate these options, but none have progressed. Instead the council and Vic Heritage have used the funds to develop counter-proposals that have primarily focused on destruction of the wreck. The do however placing a pretty plaque on the beachfront that will mention the Cerberus.
Shelly and I visited Half Moon Bay and the Cerberus wreck in 2008.
The hull is now well underwater and only the breastwork, funnel and turrets are visible. The large sign on the turret is warning that the wreck is unsafe. Venturing onto the wreck risks a $10,000 fine.
A 100 metre exclusion zone has been established around the wreck.
A model of the Cerberus in the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance.
For more information about the career of the Cerberus, check here: http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-cerberus-hmvs
For the ongoing campaign to Save the Cerberus, check out the Friends of the Cerberus website. These guys have been fighting tirelessly against government indifference, neglect and obstruction. Any help would be welcome. http://cerberus.com.au/
Also check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/hmvscerberus
The history of HMVS Cerberus by Drachnifel on YouTube
3D scan of the HMVS Cerberus wreck
Drone footage by Antonio Pulvirenti
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