Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053:body:0:p21
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2018L00053
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 51531–54331

the Southern Apron including the Dock Master's Office (Building 78) and the Painters' and Dockers' Workshop (Building 79). Other more substantial buildings that were built to meet the war effort included the Turbine Shop and Brass Foundry (Building 150).
The dockyard was of great strategic importance to the Allied war effort and action was taken to protect it from enemy attack. Air raid shelters were built at various locations around the island. Some were purpose built, while others involved the radical modification and reinforcement of several of the convict-built buildings. A search light tower, tunnel and first aid station were also constructed. All of these structures remain on the island as an unedited record of the turbulent war years.

Peacetime
Shipbuilding continued apace after the war and increased in 1950's following a decision by the Commonwealth Government to build a number of anti-submarine frigates.
During this phase most of the old structures were maintained and used. These included the original Fitzroy Dock workshop and the Prisoners' Barracks. However, the inadequacies of the dockyard, including its size, aging facilities and the difficulty and expense incurred in transporting goods to and from the mainland were becoming more of a problem. By the early 1960's the dockyard's work was declining and this was a trend from which it was never to recover.

The Last Ships
In 1979 Vickers Cockatoo was awarded the contract to build the fleet replenishment ship HMAS Success. The Success was the largest naval ship to be built in Australia and the last ship to be built at Cockatoo. The Success was launched in 1984 and although the submarine-refitting program for the "Oberon" class submarines continued for a few more years, the 1991 refit of HMAS Orion marked the end of the dockyard's working life.
For the final 25 years of its operations the maintenance and refit of RAN submarines was the mainstay of the dockyard. Several new buildings were constructed during this period specifically for the refitting of the 'Oberon' class submarines. These included the Weapons Workshop and Electronic Building (Building 93) on the south eastern apron and the large crane on the bolt wharf.

Closure
Following the refit of the Orion the workforce was disbanded; equipment, machinery and furniture were sold at auction and many of the buildings and wharves were demolished. However, notwithstanding this, a substantial array of structures and artefacts representing all phases of the island's life remain.
Figure 19: USS New Orleans
Fifteen United States Navy ships were repaired at Cockatoo Island during WW II. Included among them was the USS New Orleans, which was torpedoed in the Battle of Lunga Point, losing 150 foot of its bow in the ensuing explosion. The New Orleans