With the discovery of gold in Victoria in the decade 1851-1861, the population increased sevenfold. The large fleet of vessels that brought these people into the Port of Melbourne overwhelmed the few repair facilities available. As a result, overseas vessels were often delayed in Port Phillip Bay, until slipways became vacant.
On the 20th October 1856, the Victorian Government decided to construct a large slipway at Williamstown to provide the ship repair facilities which the Port so urgently needed. The site selected for the new Government Patent Slipway was that at present occupied by No. 1 building berth in the Naval Dockyard at Williamstown. The first trial of the slipway was made with success on Saturday, 9th October 1858 – a date signifying the birth of the dockyard.
It soon became apparent that the docking facilities of the Port were inadequate to deal with the larger vessels arriving from overseas. The construction of the slipway took longer than estimated, and in the meantime rapid technical progress had been made in ship construction overseas.
On 20th October 1858, the decision was reached to commence the construction of a graving dock on a site between the existing Patent Slipway and Point Gellibrand. The first of several contracts for the construction of the new graving dock was let in 1864 to Messrs. Glaister and Coy. Fortunately, before that portion of the work had been completed, news was received of the building of `ironclads’ in the United States and other ships which the dock, as originally planned, would be unable to accommodate. Arrangements were made to increase the depth and width of the dock by eight feet and ten feet respectively. Again in 1870, doubts arose regarding the ability of the dock to meet all requirements of the future and it was decided to extend the length by fifty feet. The foundation stone of the graving dock was laid on 4th January 1868 by HRH Prince Alfred, KG, Duke of Edinburgh, who arrived in the Royal Navy’s first ironclad, HMS Warrior.
Large excavations were necessary before the construction of the dock commenced. It was necessary to build an immense cofferdam, consisting of two curved walls, 1,000 feet in length, constructed of hardwood sheeting five inches thick. It was completed in July 1869, when boilers, engines and pumps were placed in position and pumping operations commenced.
The cofferdam continued to perform its important function until March 1872, when following a south westerly gale, a portion of the north western area collapsed, and the dock was flooded to within four feet of the top of the masonry. It was subsequently discovered that the cofferdam in this section was erected over a vessel that had been sunk at the spot some years before. Four weeks elapsed before repairs were completed. When the water was pumped out, it was found that the masonry had not been appreciably damaged.
The dock was completed on 14th September 1873, but the dock caisson was not finished and in position until February 1874. The Alfred Graving Dock was built of bluestone, obtained in the district within nine miles of the site.
The dock has an effective length of 476 feet, the distance from the bottom of the dock to the coping of its wall is 35 feet 6 inches, and the depth at low water at the sill is 27 feet 6 inches. It is 100 feet in breadth between the coping tiers of the side walls and 80 feet at the entrance. It cost 341,686 Pounds ($683,372).
on March, 2 1874. The first ship to do so.
The Alfred Graving Dock was officially opened on 2nd March 1874, when HMCS Nelson was docked. Following the opening of the graving dock, many ships of various sizes and types were docked and repaired over the next 30 years.
A notable project undertaken at the dock was the conversion of Nelson to a single decker in 1881.
A frequent visitor to the dockyard during this period was the monitor HMVS Cerberus.
An interesting visitor was the Russian Warship Afrika, which was docked in February 1882.
During the decade following the opening of the graving dock, the sailing ship was at its height of popularity, and many a clipper ship was docked at Williamstown.
By the end of the 1880s it was apparent that the advent of iron and steel ships and the associated increase in dimensions meant the dock was inadequate for many vessels visiting Melbourne. Efforts were made to interest the authorities in enlarging the graving dock. Early in 1900, the Minister for Customs, Dr. C. Salmon, recommended to Cabinet that the dock be extended by 200 ft. This was not feasible, as much of the dock was constructed on reclaimed land. It was also proposed to build a new 750ft. dock at Williamstown.
In the year 1906, one of the largest undertakings attempted by ship repairers in Australia was successfully accomplished at the Dockyard. SS Peregrine, a 1,660 GRT vessel of the Howard Smith Line, was lengthened amidships by 40 feet. Perhaps the first ‘jumboising’ operation undertaken in Australia.
In addition to docking various types of ships, other jobs undertaken by the Dockyard during the year 1908 included the overhauling of the Queenscliffe lifeboat, and the completion of additions to the St. Kilda Pier in readiness for the arrival, later that year, of the United States Fleet.
On the 29th August 1908, a visiting American Fleet, consisting of sixteen battleships and six auxiliary vessels, steamed up Port Phillip Bay. This was the famous ‘Great White Fleet’ of the USN. During the `Fleet Week’ celebrations that followed, a collision occurred in Hobson’s Bay on the 4th September between the USN auxiliary Ajax and the steamer SS Leura. The latter vessel was crowded with sightseers.
The tug James Patterson went alongside and took on board the passengers from the SS Leura. The vessel was towed up the river Yarra for repairs. The Alfred Graving Dock was hastily prepared for the Ajax, which proceeded there with pumps working continuously to keep down the in-rushing water. The Ajax was docked and a new stern, 63 feet in length, was constructed and fitted.
The year 1909 ushered in a period of renewed interest by the Commonwealth of Australia in Naval Defence. It was announced by the Minister for Defence on the 5th February that the Government had decided to order Torpedo Boat Destroyers from a shipyard in Great Britain, and intended to undertake the construction of other destroyers in Australia.
This announcement caused widespread interest throughout Australia, particularly in the ship repairing industry. Naval ship construction on such a large scale had not been attempted in Australia previously.
Williamstown Council petitioned the State Government that all efforts be made to secure Naval construction for the dockyard. Proposals were put forward for the preparing of building berths on the site of the old Patent Slipway.
It was not until the 27th January 1910, that the Minister for Defence announced that the third Torpedo Boat Destroyer was to be built in New South Wales, but Victoria would receive a fair share of the work to be carried out by the Federal Government in the future.
On the 14th June 1910, the Victorian Cabinet approved the building of a suction dredge at Williamstown, at an estimated cost of 40,000 Pounds, for the purpose of deepening the port.
It was also intended that the plant, equipment and labour necessary for the building of the Dredge would provide a sound foundation for Victoria’s shipbuilding yard of the future. Late in 1909, the Glasgow barque Loch Ryan was purchased by the Victorian Government. It entered the Graving Dock at Williamstown on 29th November 1909 for conversion to a training ship for delinquent boys. The conversion was completed on 7th September 1910, and on that day Lady Gibson Carmichael, wife of the Governor of Victoria, broke a bottle of Australian champagne over the bow of the vessel and renamed it John Murray.
The new Torpedo Boat Destroyers Yarra and Parramatta arrived in Melbourne on 10th December 1910. Hundreds of people lined the foreshore of Hobson’s Bay to watch the two ships steam up the Bay to their berth in the Alfred Graving Dock. After an official reception, HMAS Parramatta was inspected. On the next day approximately 4,000 people came to Williamstown to view the first ships of the Royal Australian Navy yet to be born.
On the 27th July 1911, the Victorian Minister of Public Works, Mr. W. H. Edgar, visited the dockyard to drive the first pile on the new shipbuilding berth. While the work of demolishing old buildings, erecting new buildings, installing foundations for plant and machinery and constructing the building berths proceeded, the Alfred Graving Dock was worked to its full capacity. The Patent Slipway was used until the construction of the building berths was completed.
One of the last slippings recorded was the hulk Ariel, which was severely damaged in a storm and blown aground in Altona Bay. It was slipped for repairs on the 30th April 1911.
By October 1911, the work had advanced to a stage where the powerhouse was under construction and the uprights for the building berths were nearing completion.
In June 1912, a contract was let for the construction of the first boiler shop in the Dockyard at a cost of 3,925 Pounds. During the same month, the two torpedo boats Nepean and Lonsdale were dismantled for their departure to Swan Island for scrapping.
Early in 1913, the construction of the first vessel, a suction dredge for use on the Gippsland Lakes, was commenced.
The Shipbuilding Yard at Williamstown was officially opened by the Governor of Victoria, Sir John Fuller, on Monday 7th April 1913. In addition to approximately 600 official guests, a large number of sightseers visited the Dockyard.
The opening of the new Shipbuilding Yard was followed by demands for a new graving dock, but as the Williamstown Council was informed that the Victorian Government was in close contact with the Federal Government on this matter, it was dropped.
The next event of importance was the launching of the new suction dredge on Wednesday 9th July 1913. In the presence of a large gathering, Mrs. W.H. Edgar broke a bottle of champagne against the bow. The dredge was appropriately named W.H. Edgar. After this launching, work began without delay on the construction of a Grab Bucket Dredge. Tenders were also submitted by the yard for the construction of a suction dredge and a tug for the Melbourne Harbor Trust.
The question of building a new dock was again raised in May 1914, when the Premier of Victoria, the Hon. W.H. Watt, discussed with the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Joseph Cook, financial proposals for the commencement of work at Williamstown. In July 1914, borings were taken at the site of the proposed new dock. However, nothing eventuated.
Soon after the Declaration of War on 4th August 1914, the Dockyard was requested by the Commonwealth Government to undertake the work of converting merchant ships into transports. This work required the use of additional machines and the employment of additional men. By 30th November the employment figures at the Dockyard had reached the record total of 1,500 men. Five of these vessels were enemy ships captured in Port Phillip. They were Barambah, Boorara, Conargo, Gilgai and Moorina.
Throughout the next two years, continual disputes between the State and Federal Governments over the use of non-union labour in the Dockyard led to a gradual decrease in the orders for fitting out troop transports.
Early in 1917, the Federal Government was greatly concerned about the scarcity of shipping tonnage, so necessary for the successful prosecution of the war. In September 1917, the Prime Minister, Mr. W.M. Hughes authorised the Victorian Government to prepare a building berth at Williamstown for the construction of a 3,000 ton steamer.
The next announcement by the Prime Minister advised that two ships were to be built at Williamstown, and two at Walsh Island in NSW. Lack of materials, shortage of labour and continual industrial disputes had been obstacles to the Victorian Government’s efforts to develop the shipbuilding industry at Williamstown.
One of the first tasks at Williamstown was the preparation of the building berths, but an obstacle to this was the suction dredge which had occupied one building berth for over two years. The dredge, named Lady Stanley, was finally launched on 15th January 1918. The berth which she had occupied for so long was then prepared for one of the new steamers.
The Premier of Victoria, Mr. Bowser, stated in the course of his Budget Speech on 5th February 1918, that the State shipbuilding yard at Williamstown was established in 1913 and up to the present had cost the State a total of 200,000 Pounds. For this sum, the Commonwealth Government agreed to purchase the whole concern. The Dockyard was taken over by the Commonwealth on 8th February 1918.
The Federal Government’s announcement on the 29th May 1918 that six additional ships would be built at Williamstown was most encouraging, and gave promise of a large scale expansion in the industry. From this date forward the dockyard was to average a vessel per year in addition to a large programme of refitting.
