Virtual Discovery #30 - Captain Hussey Remembers (Part 2)
Part of a series of “Virtual Discovery” presentations featuring the military heritage of Rottnest island produced in parallel with Virtual Visit posts relating to the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia. This “Virtual Discovery” is the second of two focusing on the experiences of Captain Frank Hussey on Rottnest 1936 to 1938.
“Two old powered barges, the Duchess and the Agnes transported all construction materials from Fremantle to Rottnest unloading them with their own gear. For four weeks, the weather was deemed too rough too risk the passage to Rottnest. Finally, the Duchess (which had been swamped and sunk on one return trip) was able to transport the guns (each barrel weighed 30 tons) and unload them using the gantry crane.”
The Australian Army Museum of Western Australia has in its archive, a short, typed account entitled Coast Defence Construction in the 1930s. The document is inscribed “by Brigadier Hussey”. In the document, Frank Hussey provides details of the design, contracting and construction of the coast defence installations on Rottnest.
Details
Details
Rottnest Island was closed to the public for extended periods during the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020. The success of “Virtual Visi” series at the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia prompted the creation of a parallel series of “Virtual Discoveries” focussing on the military and heritage aspects of Rottnest Island.
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
Australian Army Museum of Western Australia
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