HMAS Vampire

HMAS Vampire is a Daring-class destroyer that served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1959 to 1986 and can now be toured as a museum ship at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney. One of the first fully welded warships built in Australia, she was constructed at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard. During her active service, the ship took part in numerous deployments in Southeast Asia, including the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation and escort duty for troop transports to Vietnam. A particular highlight was escorting the royal yacht Britannia during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Australia in 1977. After being converted into a training ship in 1980, the Vampire served for several more years before being decommissioned in 1986 and handed over for permanent preservation.

Today, the Vampire is the largest exhibit on display in any Australian museum. You can tour the ship in the Warships Pavilion of the National Maritime Museum, where she lies alongside other historic warships such as HMAS Onslow and HMAS Advance. The interior of the destroyer offers a glimpse into life on board, including the bridge, the engine rooms, and the crew's living quarters. Parts of the ship's architecture and technical equipment, such as the original radar sets and weapons stations, have been preserved, although some systems were removed during the conversion to a training ship and later restored. The ship also continues to be used to train Navy divers in hull inspection, and its radio room houses an active amateur radio station operated by local ham radio enthusiasts.

Preserving the Vampire is an ongoing process that requires regular maintenance. Every five years, the ship is towed to HMAS Kuttabul to be cleaned and serviced. In recent years, extensive repairs have been carried out on the hull and on various components to ensure the structural integrity of this historic monument. The Vampire is not only a technical masterpiece of Australian shipbuilding history but also an important historical document reflecting the country's military role in the Pacific region and in international conflicts. For visitors, she offers a unique opportunity to experience the history of the Australian Navy up close and to trace the development of warship technology in the 20th century.