HMAS Burdekin paid off into Reserve at Melbourne and was laid up at Corio Bay, Geelong. In 1956 she was towed to Sydney. Declared for disposal on 9 November 1960, Burdekin was eventually sold on 21 September 1961 to the Tolo Mining and Smelting Co Ltd of Hong Kong, together with HMA Ships Condamine, Hawkesbury and Reserve, for an overall amount of £53,000 sterling. The purchase by Tolo was financed by the Mitsubishi Co of Japan, through its Australian agent, HC Sleigh. Burdekin was released to Mitsubishi to be broken up for scrap in Japan. Reserve, formerly an RAN tug, left Sydney for Japan late in December 1961, towing Burdekin and Condamine