Former Royal Australian Navy Submarine For Sale On eBay
IT is the ultimate Christmas gift for the discerning sailor. Just log on to eBay, lodge any bid more than $4.9 million, and the 2000-tonne former Royal Australian Navy submarine, the HMAS Otama, could be yours, The Australian reports.
The story behind the bizarre firesale of this Cold War warrior, a prized piece of the nation’s military heritage, is far from festive.
The forced sale of the Otama - the first RAN submarine offered on eBay has broken the heart of the man who dreamed the vessel would one day restore the flagging fortunes of his home town of Hastings on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula.
Max Bryant, president of the Western Port Oberon Association, said: “I’ve put 11 years of work into this, and all we have had is disappointment.”
Bought from the federal government in 2001 for $50,000, the decommissioned Otama was to take pride of place on the Hastings foreshore, providing an all-year tourist attraction for the small industrial town.
- Read more on this story at The Australian.
