CERBERUS (HMVS)
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Statement of Significance
The former flagship of the Victorian Colonial Navy, HMVS Cerberus is internationally significant as a surviving example of a turret ship, or breastwork monitor class of warship. It was the first armoured warship built for Australia, and upon Federation became the Commonwealth of Australia's first capital ship. When it was built, along with its sister ship Magdala they were the first British ships to have low freeboard, breastwork protection, a central superstructure with fore and aft turrets, and the first warships ever built to operate solely on steam propulsion. The Cerberus represents the transition from large high profile wooden sailing warships armed with hundreds of cannon to a low profile 'floating raft' using explosive shells, revolving turret guns, and an iron hull and breastwork. The Cerberus had an uneventful career for a naval vessel, with never a shot fired in anger in 53 years of service between 1871 and 1926. The HMAS Cerberus naval depot at Flinders is named after the HMVS Cerberus. After its use as a capital ship had expired, the Cerberus operated in Port Phillip as a port guard ship, a floating explosives store, and a submarine depot ship for the six J-Class submarines until being purposely sunk in 1926 for use as a breakwater for the Black Rock Yacht Club.
*There is a 0.5 hectare rectangular Protected Zone around Cerberus, defined by buoys (5m from bow and stern, 25 m from centreline). No entry is permitted unless a Permit has been authorised by Heritage Victoria. The center point of the Protected Zone is positioned at -37.967405, 145.007895 WGS84*