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64-612: South Brisbane Dry Dock is a heritage-listed dry dock at 412 Stanley Street, South Brisbane , City of Brisbane , Queensland , Australia. It was designed by William David Nisbet and built from 1876 to 1887. It is also known as the Government Graving Dock. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. The South Brisbane Dry Dock is the third oldest in Australia,

128-563: A dry dock in Ptolemaic Egypt in the reign of Ptolemy IV Philopator (221-204 BC) on the occasion of the launch of the enormous Tessarakonteres rowing ship. However a more recent survey by Goodchild and Forbes does not substantiate its existence. But after that a Phoenician devised a new method of launching it (the Tessarakonteres ), having dug a trench under it, equal to the ship itself in length, which he dug close to

192-412: A drydock and towed to their final place on the seabed. A dry dock may also be used for the prefabrication of the elements of an immersed tube tunnel, before they are floated into position, as was done with Boston's Silver Line . Cumbooquepa Cumbooquepa is a heritage-listed house at Somerville House , 253 Vulture Street , South Brisbane , City of Brisbane , Queensland , Australia. It

256-435: A five-storeyed science wing and sporting facilities have been erected. The Constance Harker Hall was built during the 1970s. It houses an 1888 pipe organ by Alfred Hunter & Sons of London. Somerville House comprises structures and landscaping elements, including paths, walls and cuttings on the large triangular block bounded on the north side by Vulture Street and on the west by the railway line. The buildings situated on

320-495: A gymnasium and chemistry and biology laboratories completed in 1926. A two-roomed library building designed by Thomas Brenan Femister Gargett as a memorial to CE Harker was opened in 1935 and extended to include an art studio in 1939–40. The former library includes memorial stained glass windows by William Bustard . It was probably the first purpose-designed library building at a girls' school in Queensland. Recently altered,

384-407: A large brick chimney . The two centrifugal pumps for emptying the dock and steam boilers were imported from London. Three new Cornish boilers replaced the originals in 1907 and in 1924 the steam engines were replaced by electric motors constructed by Evans Deakin . During the busy war years the boiler house was enclosed by a concrete blockhouse. The Cornish boilers and their coal chutes, the pump,

448-627: A roof above the vessel. The ship is pulled in an upright position by a number of ropes attached to the superstructure. The Saint-Nazaire 's Chantiers de l'Atlantique owns one of the biggest in the world: 1,200 by 60 metres (3,940 ft × 200 ft). The Alfredo da Silva Dry Dock in Almada , Portugal , was closed in 2000. The largest roofed dry dock is at the German Meyer Werft Shipyard in Papenburg , Germany , it

512-674: A special association with the Brisbane High School for Girls. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. Cumbooquepa has a special association with the Stephens Family, CE Harker, MK Jarrett and the US Army and Brisbane architects, GHM Addison, and TBF Gargett and artisan William Bustard, and are important examples of their work. [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article

576-558: A substantial facility for the maintenance, repair and refitting of commercial ships and Harbours & Rivers dredges, barges and other vessels. In the first eighteen months the site was excavated and the excess material was used to build up streets in South Brisbane. The barque Doon was the first to utilise the dock, on 10 September 1881. A store, carpenters shed, blacksmith shop and wharf were constructed. By 1887 it had been lengthened to 420 feet (130 m), as provided for in

640-467: A timber dwelling called Cumbooquepa on the property. He died in 1877 and management of his estate passed to his eldest son, William Stephens , a politician, businessman and first mayor of South Brisbane . In 1890 the Stephens family moved into a new house designed by GHM Addison where they lived until the early 1900s. This second Cumbooquepa was built on a higher part of the site, a short distance from

704-525: Is 504 m long, 125 m wide and stands 75 m tall. Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries in Belfast , Northern Ireland , is the site of a large dry dock 556 by 93 metres (1,824 ft × 305 ft). The massive cranes are named after the Biblical figures Samson and Goliath . Dry Dock 12 at Newport News Shipbuilding at 662 by 76 metres (2,172 ft × 249 ft) is the largest dry dock in

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768-610: Is a covered, floating drydock that is also submersible to support the secret transfer of a mechanical lifting device underneath the Glomar Explorer ship, as well as the development of the Sea Shadow stealth ship . The Great Balance Dock , built in New York City in 1854, was the largest floating drydock in the world when it was launched. It was 325 feet (99 m) long and could lift 8,000 tons, accommodating

832-419: Is an uncommon example of a large late 19th century residence, which is exceptional for its architectural quality, lavish interiors, and prominence as a landmark. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The school buildings are important in exhibiting a range of aesthetic qualities valued by the community, in particular the architectural distinction of the former library/studio building,

896-411: Is crossed by hardwood keel blocks. One Enoggera granite block was used in the coping to the west of the caisson (dock gate), next to a cast-iron plate bearing the contractor's name. The excavated sides were almost perpendicular. To form the inverted arch or U-shape and prevent water permeating, the sides were constructed of puddled clay lined with concrete mixed with rubble then altars (steps in

960-518: Is embellished with stained glass windows in arched openings, elaborate timber lintels over the entry doors, built-in timber furniture, two fireplaces and bay windows in arched recesses. Circulation throughout the building is via the extensive verandahs and colonnades, all of which are now enclosed. The southern ends of the courtyards, once open, are now blocked off by two brick bathroom wings with storage areas underneath. The house has six brick chimney stacks, some of which are highly ornate. While

1024-463: Is important in demonstrating the principal characteristics of a particular class of cultural places. It an important example of the work of engineer William D Nesbit in Queensland. The place is important because of its aesthetic significance. The place makes a strong landmark and aesthetic contribution to the South Brisbane townscape, and is an integral element in the historic precinct centred around South Brisbane Memorial Park, which also includes

1088-486: Is incorporated in the Queensland Maritime Museum which includes many moveable heritage items, such as HMAS Diamantina which resides in the dock. South Brisbane Dry Dock was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. The South Brisbane Dry Dock

1152-479: Is opposite the former South Brisbane Municipal Chambers and adjacent to the former South Brisbane Railway Easement and the former South Brisbane Library . Other historically significant places in the immediate vicinity are Cumbooquepa at Somerville House , Ship Inn , and South Brisbane Memorial Park . The original section of the South Brisbane Dry Dock is U-shaped with stepped sides while

1216-578: Is significant historically as rare surviving evidence of 19th century shipping activity along the South Brisbane Reach, and indicative of the massive scale of former riverside industry in Brisbane. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. It is a rare Australian example of an intact dry dock dating from the 19th century, illustrating contemporary engineering and technology. The place

1280-407: Is still some water left to manoeuvre the vessel. It is extremely important that supporting blocks conform to the structural members so that the ship is not damaged when its weight is supported by the blocks. Some anti-submarine warfare warships have sonar domes protruding beneath the hull, requiring the hull to be supported several metres above the bottom of the dry dock, or depressions built into

1344-399: Is that work can take place in any weather; this is frequently used by modern shipyards for construction especially of complex, high-value vessels like cruise ships, where delays would incur a high cost. A floating dry dock is a type of pontoon for dry docking ships, possessing floodable buoyancy chambers and a U-shaped cross-section. The walls are used to give the dry dock stability when

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1408-582: The "Queensland heritage register boundaries" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 5 September 2014, archived on 15 October 2014). [REDACTED] Media related to South Brisbane Dry Dock at Wikimedia Commons Dry dock The use of dry docks in China goes at least as far back as the 10th century A.D. In 1088, Song dynasty scientist and statesman Shen Kuo (1031–1095) wrote in his Dream Pool Essays : At

1472-565: The 1,000-foot AFDB-1 and the 850-foot AFDB-3 . The latter, an Advance Base Sectional Dock which saw action in Guam , was mothballed near Norfolk , Virginia , and was eventually towed to Portland , Maine , to become part of Bath Iron Works ' repair facilities. A downside of floating dry docks is that unscheduled sinkings and off-design dives may take place, as with the Russian dock PD-50 in 2018. The " Hughes Mining Barge ", or HMB-1,

1536-454: The 1887 extension has sloping sides. The dock was originally 320 feet (98 m) long, but was extended to 420 feet (130 m). The width at the top is 24.08 and 16.15 metres (79.0 and 53.0 ft) at the bottom. The overall depth is 9.75 metres (32.0 ft) with 5.79 metres (19.0 ft) at the entrance sill. The rocky bottom is lined with 3 feet (0.91 m) of Portland cement overlaid by bricks and covered by Melbourne granite which

1600-552: The Hsi-Ning reign period (+1068 to +1077) a palace official Huang Huai-Hsin suggested a plan. A large basin was excavated at the north end of the Chin-ming Lake capable of containing the dragon ships, and in it heavy crosswise beams were laid down upon a foundation of pillars. Then (a breach was made) so that the basin quickly filled with water, after which the ships were towed in above the beams. Then (breach now being closed)

1664-422: The South Brisbane Dry Dock adjacent to the Queensland Maritime Museum, where she was used as a self-touring museum ship. During the 2010–2011 Queensland floods , the dry dock flooded but the ship had been maintained in good repair and floated up from the dry dock with the flood, while volunteers adjusted the ropes to prevent the ship bashing against the dry dock. The ship was undamaged. The South Brisbane Dry Dock

1728-689: The South Brisbane Dry Dock and transfer activities to an expanded Cairncross Dock. Personnel, plant and equipment were removed and ownership of the site and buildings was transferred to the Land Administration Commission in 1973. Subsequently the Brisbane City Council have become trustees and the site is used as the Queensland Maritime Museum . On 29 February 1980 HMAS Diamantina , the last World War II -era frigate to serve Australia,

1792-714: The United States. The largest floating-dock in North America is named The Vigorous. It is operated by Vigor Industries in Portland, OR, in the Swan Island industrial area along the Willamette River. A graving dock is the traditional form of dry dock. It is a narrow basin, usually made of earthen berms and concrete, closed by gates or a caisson . A vessel is floated in with the gates open, then

1856-443: The beginning of the dynasty (c. +965) the two Che provinces (now Chekiang and southern Chiangsu) presented (to the throne) two dragon ships each more than 200 ft. in length. The upper works included several decks with palatial cabins and saloons, containing thrones and couches all ready for imperial tours of inspection. After many years, their hulls decayed and needed repairs, but the work was impossible as long as they were afloat. So in

1920-684: The brickwork. The central entrance pavilion includes two bow-fronted rooms, a meeting room to the east and study to the west, and a central entrance hall and porch . These rooms have rendered masonry walls, plaster ceilings and feature high-quality timber joinery. The entrance hall, has a marbled tiled floor and is timber panelled to dado height. Stained glass in two fanlights and tall arched niches in its four corners depict Shakespearian characters: Touchstone ( As You Like It ) , Jaques ( As You Like It ) , Portia ( The Merchant of Venice ) , Beatrice ( Much Ado About Nothing ), Viola ( Twelfth Night ) and Rosalind ( As You Like It ) . The niche in

1984-549: The building is now used as a chapel. Early in 1942 Somerville House became General Headquarters, United Army Forces Far East, United States Army Services of Supply and Base Section 3. TBF Gargett, architect to the US Army, was responsible for adapting the school buildings for the army. During this period the school relocated, reopening at South Brisbane in January 1945. Since the Second World War various classrooms,

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2048-448: The city. Much of the ornament is lavished on this northern facade, the other sides of the building being relatively modest in materials and detail. The house is constructed of red brick on a patterned brick and stone base with timber verandahs to the side and rear elevations. Originally E-shaped in plan, the long northern facade connects central, eastern and western wings arranged around two verandahed courtyards . The central wing contains

2112-467: The development of Queensland in the 19th century. The dock received an Engineering Heritage Marker from Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program . [REDACTED] This Misplaced Pages article was originally based on "The Queensland heritage register" published by the State of Queensland under CC-BY 3.0 AU licence (accessed on 7 July 2014, archived on 8 October 2014). The geo-coordinates were originally computed from

2176-442: The dry dock wall) of Lockyer Creek freestone . The 1887 excavation to extend the dock required only limited lining and the base was not concreted until 1901. The caisson was manufactured by the notable firm of RR Smellie & Co. of Brisbane. It is probably the largest locally made wrought iron composition in Queensland. To the east of the dock is the brick pump house which has an arched roof, supported by timber beams, and

2240-461: The earliest description of a floating dock comes from a small Italian book printed in Venice in 1560, called Descrittione dell'artifitiosa machina . In the booklet, an unknown author asks for the privilege of using a new method for the salvaging of a grounded ship and then proceeds to describe and illustrate his approach. The included woodcut shows a ship flanked by two large floating trestles, forming

2304-410: The electric engine with its sub-station and rope drives are extant but inoperative. Attached to the blockhouse were the coal store and blacksmith shed , which was a low set timber building with arched corrugated iron roof. The Q Maritime Museum Association has built a copy of the original structure. On the western side of the dry dock are additional timber and corrugated iron buildings, one of which

2368-541: The entrance hall, reception rooms, dining room and kitchen while the eastern and western wings are used to provide accommodation for boarders and staff. The north elevation is a symmetrical composition consisting of bow-fronted pavilions on the eastern and western corners connected by colonnades to a central entry pavilion surmounted by a tower . This front facade is embellished with arches , pediments , quoins , cornices , parapets , balustrades and pilasters with Ionic capitals that are rendered to contrast with

2432-410: The entrance which had been originally made, he drained the water off again by means of engines (organois); and when this had been done the vessel rested securely on the before-mentioned cross-beams. It has been calculated that a dock for a vessel of such a size might have had a volume of 750,000 gallons of water. Before the 15th century, when the hull below the waterline needed attention, careening

2496-428: The floor of the dock, to accommodate the protrusions. Once the remainder of the water is pumped out, the ship can be freely inspected or serviced. When work on the ship is finished, the gates are opened to allow water in, and the ship is carefully refloated. Modern graving docks are box-shaped, to accommodate newer, boxier ships, whereas old dry docks are often shaped like the ships expected to dock there. This shaping

2560-551: The floor or deck is below the surface of the water. When valves are opened, the chambers fill with water, causing the dry dock to float lower in the water. The deck becomes submerged and this allows a ship to be moved into position inside. When the water is pumped out of the chambers, the dry dock rises and the ship is lifted out of the water on the rising deck, allowing work to proceed on the ship's hull. A large floating dry dock involves multiple rectangular sections. These sections can be combined to handle ships of various lengths, and

2624-498: The former South Brisbane Railway Easement, the former South Brisbane Library , Cumbooquepa (Somerville House), the former South Brisbane Municipal Chambers and Ship Inn. The place has a special association with the life or work of a particular person, group or organisation of importance in Queensland's history. It is significant for its association with the work of contractors J & A Overend and manufacturers RR Smellie & Co., both of which firms made significant contributions to

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2688-540: The former house is elevated high above the street, the former library/studio building, now the chapel, steps down the site. Built on a finger of land between the entry driveway , Vulture Street and the railway line, the building which is integrated with the adjacent pathway, steps and walls, forms an entry onto the site. The former library is a one-storeyed buttressed brick structure with contrasting rendered details including castellated parapets , window frames, arches and base and has steeply pitched terracotta tiled roofs. It

2752-427: The gates are closed and the water is pumped out, leaving the craft supported on blocks. The keel blocks as well as the bilge block are placed on the floor of the dock in accordance with the "docking plan" of the ship. Routine use of dry docks is for the "graving" i.e. the cleaning, removal of barnacles and rust, and re-painting of ships' hulls. Some fine-tuning of the ship's position can be done by divers while there

2816-409: The harbour. And in the trench he built props of solid stone five cubits deep, and across them he laid beams crosswise, running the laces whole width of the trench, at four cubits' distance from one another; and then making a channel from the sea he filled all the space which he had excavated with water, out of which he easily brought the ship by the aid of whatever men happened to be at hand; then closing

2880-516: The high quality of the stained glass and timber joinery in Cumbooquepa and the former library/studio building, the cohesive and picturesque grouping of landscape elements and buildings, the contribution of the wall and garden to the streetscape and the contribution to the townscape as a landmark. The place has a strong or special association with a particular community or cultural group for social, cultural or spiritual reasons. Cumbooquepa has

2944-582: The historic precinct surrounding South Brisbane Memorial Park and adjoining the former South Brisbane Town Hall . Cumbooquepa was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland's history. Cumbooquepa is important in demonstrating the evolution of Queensland's history as evidence of education for girls in Queensland. The place demonstrates rare, uncommon or endangered aspects of Queensland's cultural heritage. Cumbooquepa

3008-609: The largest ships of its day. Apart from graving docks and floating dry docks, ships can also be dry docked and launched by: Some dry docks are used during the construction of bridges, dams, and other large objects. For example, the dry dock on the artificial island of Neeltje-Jans was used for the construction of the Oosterscheldekering , a large dam in the Netherlands that consists of 65 concrete pillars weighing 18,000 tonnes each. The pillars were constructed in

3072-559: The main Vulture Street frontage are Cumbooquepa in the north eastern part of the site and, in the northwest corner, the former library/studio building. Cumbooquepa, a single-storeyed masonry and timber house with terracotta tiled and corrugated iron hip roofs , is located on the highest part of the site overlooking the Brisbane River to the north. It is deliberately sited to present a grand hilltop facade addressing

3136-489: The original plans. In the first twenty years an average of 60 vessels a year used the dry dock, the peak year being 1909 with 90 vessels. It was a profitable venture for the government until 1925 when patronage declined due to the increase in vessel size. A more substantial facility was provided during the Second World War when the Cairncross Dock was established downstream. Nevertheless the South Brisbane Dry Dock

3200-486: The original which was demolished in 1890 to make way for the south coast and southern suburbs railway line. The house remained in the family until 1919 when the property was acquired by the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association as the new premises for the Brisbane High School for Girls. In 1920 Somerville House was added to the title of the school honouring Mary Somerville , a Scottish scientist whose name

3264-568: The others being the Fitzroy Dry Dock , Cockatoo Island Dockyard , Sydney (1847–57) and the Alfred Graving Dock , Williamstown , Victoria (1864–73). The South Brisbane Dry Dock was designed by William David Nisbet, chief engineer for Harbours & Rivers, in 1875. It was constructed between 1876 and 1881 by J & A Overend , who had moved from Melbourne to oversee the work. The busy Brisbane River port required

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3328-593: The sections themselves can come in different dimensions. Each section contains its own equipment for emptying the ballast and to provide the required services, and the addition of a bow section can facilitate the towing of the dry dock once assembled. For smaller boats, one-piece floating dry docks can be constructed or converted out of an existing obsolete barge, potentially coming with their own bow and steering mechanism. Shipyards operate floating dry docks as one method for hauling or docking vessels. Floating drydocks are important in locations where porous ground prevents

3392-478: The southwest corner of the hall opens onto a timber staircase which leads to the tower room. In the study are elaborate built-in timber bookshelves and cabinets and a fireplace with an ornate timber surround. The dining room, accessed from a breezeway at the rear of the entrance hall, has rendered walls with timber wainscoting and an ornate coved and panelled ceiling that is lined with diagonal tongue and groove boards. The room, which overlooks both courtyards,

3456-487: The use of conventional drydocks, such as at the Royal Naval Dockyard on the limestone archipelago of Bermuda . Another advantage of floating dry docks is that they can be moved to wherever they are needed and can also be sold second-hand. During World War II , the U.S. Navy used such auxiliary floating drydocks extensively to provide maintenance in remote locations. Two examples of these were

3520-524: The water was pumped out by wheels so that the ships rested quite in the air. When the repairs were complete, the water was let in again, so that the ships were afloat once more (and could leave the dock). Finally the beams and pillars were taken away, and the whole basin covered over with a great roof so as to form a hangar in which the ships could be protected from the elements and avoid the damage caused by undue exposure. The Greek author Athenaeus of Naucratis (V 204c-d) reports something that may have been

3584-577: Was advantageous because such a dock was easier to build, it was easier to side-support the ships, and less water had to be pumped away. Dry docks used for building naval vessels may occasionally be built with a roof, to prevent spy satellites from taking pictures of the dry dock and any vessels that may be in it. During World War II , the German Kriegsmarine used fortified dry docks to protect its submarines from Allied air raids (see submarine pen ). An advantage of covered dry docks

3648-494: Was also associated with Somerville College at the University of Oxford . Constance Elizabeth Harker and Marjorie Kate Jarrett , important for their contributions to female education in Queensland, were the co-principals of the school from 1909 until the retirement of Miss Harker in 1931. An L-shaped two-storeyed educational block was built in 1920 to a design by architects Chambers and Powell with an extension containing

3712-503: Was commissioned by Henry VII of England at HMNB Portsmouth in 1495. This was a timber-lined excavation, with the seaward end closed off by a temporary revetted bank of rock and clay that had to be dug away by hand (an operation taking typically 29 days, working night and day to accord with the tides ) to allow the passage of a ship. Emptying was by a pump, possibly in the form of a bucket-chain powered by horses. This dry dock currently holds First World War monitor HMS M33 . Possibly

3776-476: Was decommissioned from the Royal Australian Navy . Diamantina was handed over to the Queensland Maritime Museum to be permanently berthed in the South Brisbane Dry Dock. In March 2006, Diamantina left her berth for the first time in 25 years when she was towed out into the river to allow repairs to the dock, which had been flooded since the seals failed in 1998. On 10 May 2006, she returned to

3840-560: Was designed by George Henry Male Addison and built in 1890. It is also known as Brisbane High School for Girls. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. Cumbooquepa is a large single-storeyed house built in 1890 on a ridge overlooking the South Brisbane Reach of the Brisbane River . The land was acquired in 1856 by Thomas Blacket Stephens , a politician, newspaper proprietor and businessman, who became Brisbane 's second mayor. Stevens built

3904-490: Was designed in the English Perpendicular " gothic revival " style. The octagonal north end has four stained glass memorial windows which are the work of Brisbane artist William Bustard. The interiors have been altered and a new entry constructed at the southern end. These buildings of Somerville House are all red brick with cement render details and form a cohesive and intact group prominently located above

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3968-463: Was extremely busy during the war, necessitating additional wharfage and facilities. Though primarily a repair shop for Queensland government vessels, the South Brisbane Dry Dock remained viable for small government and commercial vessels. Changes in shipyard practices, large bulk carriers, Captain Cook Bridge and the need for a major rehabilitation of the dock compelled the government to close

4032-489: Was practised: at high tide the vessel was floated over a beach of hard sand and allowed to rest on one side when the tide receded. An account of 1434 described how a site near Southampton with a bottom of soft mud was selected for the warship Grace Dieu , so that the hull would bed itself in and remain upright at low tide. A timber, brushwood and clay wall was then built up around the hull. The first early modern purpose-built European and oldest surviving dry dock still in use

4096-421: Was the two-storeyed dock master's office. Over the years timber and tin workshops and wharf facilities were built and demolished as the need arose. The 15 ton (13.5 tonne) crane built by Ransomes & Rapier of Ipswich remains at the head of the dock. The rail siding, necessary for the delivery of coal, and other facilities and equipment have been removed. The site is shaded by eucalypts . The dry dock site

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