After a nearly ten-year hiatus from the public eye the freshly restored “Yellow Submarine”, a City of Greater Geraldton icon, has resurfaced and is once again on display on the Foreshore.
The submarine was built in 1968 by local farmer Herbert Graham for M.G. Kallis Fishing Group to investigate the possibility of catching green (tropical) crayfish off the northwest coast of WA.
It was fitted with a thick laminate Perspex viewing windows through which a two man crew could navigate and manipulate external fishing equipment to catch crayfish.
However, the eight metre long, three-metre-high submarine weighing nearly 10 tonnes never entered service due to concerns about gas emissions from the batteries.
Over the years the vessel changed ownership a number of times before it was eventually painted bright yellow in homage to the famous Beatle’s movie Yellow Submarine and placed on display on the Foreshore at the former Geraldton Maritime Museum.
In 2015, it was removed from the Foreshore to make way for the redevelopment of the area and later gifted to Rotary Club of Batavia Coast in 2018 for restoration.
Following the restoration, ownership of the submarine was transferred back to the City so it could once again be prominently displayed on the Foreshore.
City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Jerry Clune said the the Eastern Breakwater was the ideal location for the famous vessel.
“Its great to have our community’s beloved Yellow Submarine back on display again,” he said.
“The breakwater is the best location for the submarine as it is highly visible from a lot of locations along the Foreshore,” he said.
“Once word gets around that the Yellow Submarine is back locals and tourists alike will want to see it and get photos of the iconic Geraldton vessel.”
