House debates

Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Statements by Members

Solomon Electorate: MV Rushcutter

1:33 pm

Photo of Luke GoslingLuke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to give the House an update on the future of the Harbour Defence Motor Launch 1321, the MV Rushcutter, which sank in Darwin Harbour in 2016. Some members of this House may remember me talking about it. We've successfully got it up from the bottom of Darwin Harbour and to the beach. This ship served our country in World War II in very dangerous times north of Australia. The least we can do is restore her and put her on display in the capital of the north, in Darwin. She was made of Huon pine in Tasmania. We want to restore those beautiful lengths, those beams. It's a magnificent boat. With the support of the NT government, for which we are all very grateful, a local business, NT Welding, will build a steel cradle. We are going to float the Rushcutter from the beach into this steel cradle and we'll take her to a hardstand at Frances Bay, where the restoration will begin.

Stories have been flooding in from families of soldiers and sailors who served with the 1321 during the Second World War and subsequently when she was renamed the MV Rushcutter and served in Sydney Harbour. She even went down to Melbourne and worked on the yachting regatta in the Melbourne Olympics. She's got a fantastic history. She served our nation well. I'm very grateful to the NT government for their support.