Death knell for Garden Island crane
Sydney’s skyline is set to change with the controversial decision to remove the iconic hammerhead crane from Garden Island Navy Base, announced last week.
David Feeney, Parliamentary Secretary of Defence, said the crane would be removed from the base, citing costs of over $700,000-a-year to maintain the relic. Mr Feeney pointed to safety issues, most likely referring to a piece of corroded iron which fell from the crane in 2007.
Removal of the historic structure is to help facilitate the Navy’s “new, large amphibious ships” due for arrival in 2013.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said she is firmly against the decision to remove the 60-year-old landmark.
“For many years, I have argued for the restoration of the hammerhead crane and greater public access to Garden Island. I do not support this decision to remove it,” she said.
Graham Quint, Conservation Manager at National Trust, said that with the crane gone, Sydney would lose one of its most visible pieces of harbour history.
“It will be a more featureless harbour with the crane gone,” he said. “These are the things that give interest. It is a monumental structure.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Defence stated that it would take steps to preserve the crane’s history.
“The Crane’s significant footings will remain in place and Defence will ensure that a full archival recording is taken prior to deconstruction,” the spokesperson said.
Proposals to convert the post-war relic into a tourist attraction – such as the one in Glasgow, Scotland – included using the crane as a site for bungee jumping, abseiling, an observation deck, and installing a restaurant atop the historic landmark.
Erected in 1951 and one of only 15 of its kind remaining worldwide, the hammerhead crane was able to lift up to 250 tonnes in its heyday, but by the 1990s had fallen into disuse.
Removal of the crane was the “lowest cost option” at $7.4 million, compared to the $123.7 million it would cost to keep it, read a report from the Department of Defence.
