HMAS Sydney
On the evening of 19th.November,1941 HMAS Sydney engaged the armed German raider 'Kormoran' off the coast near Geraldton. In the ensuing engagement both vessels received significant damage,eventually the Kormoran sank but the fate of the Sydney and her crew has never been determined*. The Memorial,designed by Joan Walsh Smith and Charles Smith with an estimated cost of One Million Dollars,comprises a large central dome the roof of which is composed of 645 stainless steel cutouts of seagulls,one for each crew member. On the landward side of the concourse are two curved polished black granite walls of rememberance inscribed with the names of the crew of the Sydney,opposite, overlooking the harbour, is a life size female figure gazing out to sea. This project,in the first instance, was an initiative of the Geraldton Rotary Club and has been supported by Federal,State and Local Government together with donations from the public. From it's opening the site has been subject to vandalism and stealing from cars in the visitors car park, in January '02 the site trustees installed survelliance cameras.See also Quobba
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* The Finding Sydney Foundation ( a group of concerned people) with private donations and a grant from the Federal Government engaged David Mearns ( a noted naval wreck locator) and the MV Geosounder to conduct a search for HMAS Sydney. The search commenced at the beginning of March,2008 and on 15/16th the wreck of the Kormoran was discovered and, some 12.5 nautical miles away the Sydney lying upright on the seabed 2560m from the surface and 112 nautical sea miles West of Shark Bay. From pictures obtained by the Geosounder's sonar system it could be seen that the Sydney had suffered significant damage from gunfire and her bow was missing.
