HMAS Adelaide (1918) - Decommissioning and Fate

Decommissioning and Fate

Adelaide was decommissioned for the final time on 13 May 1946. On 24 January 1949, she was sold to Australian Iron and Steel Pty Ltd for breaking up. Adelaide was towed by the tug HMAS Reserve to Port Kembla during 1 and 2 April, where she was scrapped.

As a memorial to HMAS Adelaide, the ship's main-mast was erected alongside the Sphynx Memorial in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, Sydney, in about 1950. An information plaque with a diagram of the ship and information about its history was installed nearby. One of the cruiser's 6-inch guns was found at a rubbish tip in Victoria; this was restored, then placed on display at HMAS Cerberus. The ship's bell ended up in the possession of the Amazon Hotel, a pub in Exeter, England.