Geraldton’s Yellow Submarine restored after $30,000 three-year effort from Batavia Coast Rotary Club

A passion project for many, and a sight for sore eyes, too — Geraldton’s beloved Yellow Submarine is soon to be berthed after three years of restorations, and a lot of waiting.

“Socially, it has a lot of meaning. Everyone has their own story to tell about it and what it means to them,” said Susan Bell, a member of the group which helped restore the sub.

It began as a grey submarine built in Dongara in 1968 — the same year The Beatles released the movie Yellow Submarine.

The folklore surrounding the submarine involves twists and turns — does it belong to Dongara or Geraldton? Was it made to dive on wrecks along the Mid West coastline, or to follow painted crays?

One thing is “fore shore” — the Rotary Club of Batavia Coast took on a big project when it decided to restore the sub to its former glory.

“It was a rust bucket,” said Daryl Bell, who led the charge on the project with his former business that specialised in making auto bodies.

The project began in 2017, with Mr Bell and various others putting in a couple of hours each week when they had free time.

People with no experience in welding or boilermaking offered a hand to help restore an iconic part of Geraldton history.

“It’s not going underwater, so whatever they messed up I knew I could fix and it wouldn’t matter too much,” Mr Bell joked.

The restoration journey took three years, finishing in 2020. The sub has been sitting in a storage yard since then while the Rotary Club has navigated ownership.

The project has cost the club about $30,000, with donations accepted in the form of sand blasting and painting done by local companies.

The upkeep is expected to be minimal, with a new paint job expected to be done in the next 10 years forecast to cost $5000-$6000.

According to the team, when they first got their hands on the submarine it was filled with litter, and rust so brittle it could be knocked off with a hammer.

The Rotary Club of Batavia Coast is now in the process of transferring ownership of the sub to the City of Greater Geraldton, after insurance costs were quoted to have an excess of more than $100,000.

The City is conducting site feasability studies for a list of preferred locations given by the club including the 440 Roadhouse, Stow Gardens, and the Eastern Breakwater Jetty.

As another committee member, Greg Eastman, said, the group has one main prerequisite as to where the sub ends up: “We just want it somewhere it can be appreciated and admired.”