Bayside City Council in Melbourne is protecting the iconic HMVS Cerberus shipwreck – to stop it slipping beneath the waves.
Council has approved a plan to apply to Heritage Victoria for permission to do work to stop the ship’s hull from disintegrating.
It is planned that historic guns will also be returned to the deck of the ship.
Bayside Mayor Alex del Porto said that the Half Moon Bay seascape with the Cerberus was one of the iconic vistas of Bayside.
“The Cerberus is listed on the National Historic Register as a wreck of national significance.
“As owners of the ship we are taking this action to preserve the historic structure so that it remains intact and above the waterline,” the Mayor said.
The HMVS Cerberus was scuttled by the Australian Navy in 1927 to as act as a breakwater to protect Half Moon Bay.
Council will now make an application to the Federal Minister for the Environment and Energy to expend grant funds originally provided for works on the HMVS Cerberus that are currently held by the National Trust.
The Friends of the Cerberus community group secured a $500,000 National Heritage Investment Initiative grant in 2008.
The grant was initially provided as seed funding for fundraising by the community group for the approximately $7 million needed to permanently raise and protect the Cerberus, however, as further fundraising has been unsuccessful, the grant monies will be used for preservation work.
“Due to the worsening condition of the historic ship, Council will apply to Heritage Victoria for permission to take action to preserve it and prevent further disintegration,” Mayor del Porto said.
“I would like to thank the Friends for their tireless work over many years and commitment to this historic Bayside icon.”
