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HMAS Adelaide
The Escort Frigate HMAS Adelaide has been gifted to the
New South Wales Government and is to be sunk as a dive wreck and
artificial reef off Terrigal.
 HMAS Adelaide was built in the United States and commissioned in
the Royal Australian Navy on 15 November 1980 and is the second ship
to carry this name. The first was a light cruiser that served from
1922 to 1945. HMAS Adelaide was the first guided missile frigate
to be home ported in Western Australia.
HMAS Adelaide participated in the 1990/91 Gulf War as part of Operation
DAMASK, Australia's participation in the international coalition
against Iraq 's invasion of Kuwait . More recently, the ship was
deployed for peacekeeping operations in East Timor in 1999 and to
the Persian Gulf as part of the International Coalition against Terrorism
in 2001 and 2004. HMAS Adelaide is 138 metres long, displaces 4100
tonnes and has a crew of 184 as well as helicopter aircrew and maintainers.
It is anticipated that the sinking of the HMAS Adelaide will be
mid October, 2009. The wreck will be sunk on a sand bank 1km out
from shore between Terrigal Headland and Avoca Beach.
This new wreck dive site will provide world class diving for
all levels of ability. At its highest point the wreck will be only
10 metres below the surface, which will be suitable for novice divers
and snorkelling. More experienced divers will be able to reach 30
metres below the surface for advanced level diving.
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