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On the 9th October 2010 a moving ceremony was held to rename Trinity Park, Centaur Memorial Park, located at Quartzborough
Promenade, Smithfield Village in Cairns. The association was informed by the Trinity Neighbourhood Watch and Cairns Regional
Council of their proposal and it was warmly welcomed by the association. An offer of a mini-plaque and storyboard was agreed
to for the park.
Lisa Ahrens (Smithfield Village), Trinity Neighbourhood Watch representative Tricia Traill,
and RAN representative Charlotte Rice at the unveiling
Storyboard
The storyboard
narrative:
"On
20th December 09 the wreck of the Australian Hospital Ship Centaur was found. The ship had sailed
from Sydney heading to Cairns carrying medical staff, field ambulance staff and merchant seaman. On this
ill fated trip the ship, while clearly identifiable as a hospital ship; painted white and marked with large red crosses, was
torpedoed at 4.10am on 14th May 1943.
As the torpedo hit the fuel bunkers, it exploded taking only three minutes to sink
268 non combatants lost
their lives that day. The 64 survivors spent 36 hours in shark infested waters and survived by clinging to debris from their
ship.
The
survivors were rescued by U.S.S Mugford.
A.H.S. Centaur is resting 2059 metres below the surface of the ocean at 27 degrees 16.98’ S, 153 degrees
59.22’ E some 50 km east of Morton Island".
Programme
Click here to download Programme
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