South Brisbane Dry (Graving) Dock

Queensland Maritime Museum

Opened in 1881, the South Brisbane Dock was Brisbane’s only graving dock until 1944. It was a vital piece of infrastructure for the war effort and enabled the Allied naval and merchant fleets and other vessels used various government departments to affect repairs. The engines and boilers of the dock were covered with a bomb-proof shelter in case of enemy air attack.

Place information

Location

412 Stanley Street

South Brisbane, QLD 4101

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Place type

Naval/port facility

History

As the only facility in Brisbane to be able to enable dry-dock repair, the South Brisbane Dry Dock held a position of particular importance during the early years of the war. The dock remained operational under the supervision of the Department of Harbours and Marine, servicing both naval and merchant vessels of the allied forces. It was the primary naval repair facility for the US Seventh Fleet, it’s submarine pack and support ships. A repair yard was constructed adjacent to the dock during the war later became part of the dock infrastructure.

Between June 1942 and June 1943, eighty-eight vessels were...

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