Media releases

Photographs and Videos HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran - Finding Sydney Foundation Update

Published

We have been asked several questions by various people what our intentions are in relation to the still photographs and videos that were taken during the inspection of HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran.

We have summarised the questions and comments below for your information.

(1) How many (a) photographic images, and (b) minutes of video footage, were taken as part of the discovery and investigation into the wreck of the HMAS Sydney (II).

(1) The Finding Sydney Foundation holds photographic images, and video footage taken as part of the discovery and investigation into the wreck of the HMAS Sydney (II).

The material consists of:

ROV Photographs

  • HMAS Sydney (II) and surrounding debris field: 1,139 photographs
  • HSK Kormoran and surrounding debris field: 241 photographs
  • Discounted Battle Site (Geological Outcrops): 50 photographs

ROV Video Footage

  • HMAS Sydney (II) and surrounding debris field: 39 hours, 1 minute and 30 seconds in duration, 469 Files
  • Discounted Battle Site (Geological Outcrops): 3 hours, 45 minutes and 55 seconds in duration, 46 Files
  • HSK Kormoran and surrounding debris field: 7 hours 56 minutes and 33 seconds in duration, 95 Files

Further technical information is provided at the bottom of this media release.

(2) Will more photographic images be released to the public; if so, (a) how many, (b) when, and (c) will they be able to be used free of copyright restrictions; if not, why not.

(2) The Finding Sydney Foundation is following a request from The Cole Commission of Inquiry not to release further photographic images or video footage.

ln accordance with its Funding Agreement with the Commonwealth, all search material, including the photographs and video imagery was handed over to the Commonwealth and the West Australian Museum in . Under the Funding Agreement, the Finding Sydney Foundation granted the Commonwealth a permanent, free, worldwide, non-exclusive licence to use the material for any Commonwealth purpose.

The Finding Sydney Foundation is currently winding up its operation, having completed its objectives by locating HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran and setting up a Virtual Memorial.

The Foundation's Board has recently decided that it will gift the rights to the material to the Australian people and assigning Copyright to an appropriate national institution and providing all material to that institution. Accordingly, the Finding Sydney Foundation is currently having discussions with an appropriate national institution to achieve this goal as soon as practicable and hopefully before the end of .

Note: Media Release updated from initial release , to include video statistics.

Media Contact

Ted Graham
Chairman
The Finding Sydney Foundation
media@findingsydney.com
(+)61-8-9261 7749

Technical Data

ROV Photographs

Camera: Kongsberg Maritime OE14-208 and associated flash unit (contains Canon G5 Powershot)
JPEG Format (5 Megapixel), 2592 pixels (width) × 1944 pixels (height)

HMAS Sydney (II) Photograph Summary
Date Count
79 Wreck Photographs
332 Wreck Photographs
– 421 Debris Field Photographs
43 Wreck Photographs
264 Debris Field Photographs
1,139 Photographs
Discounted Battle Site (Geological Outcrops) Photograph Summary
Date Count
50 Photographs
HSK Kormoran Photograph Summary
Date Count
145 Wreck Photographs
96 Debris Field Photographs
241 Photographs

Total ROV Photographs: 1,430

ROV Video Footage

MPEG-2 Format, 704 pixels (width) × 576 pixels (height)

AWST = Australian Western Standard Time

HMAS Sydney (II) Wreck Footage
Date Time Range (AWST) Duration Files
to 2 hours 24 minutes 25 seconds 29
to 12 hours 2 minutes 0 seconds 144
to 0 hours 59 minutes 27 seconds 13
Total Wreck Footage 15 hours 25 minutes 52 seconds 186
HMAS Sydney (II) Debris Field Footage
Date Time Range (AWST) Duration Files
to 6 hours 36 minutes 18 seconds 79
to 5 hours 13 minutes 45 seconds 63
to 4 hours 39 minutes 11 seconds 56
to 7 hours 6 minutes 24 seconds 85
Total Debris Field Footage 23 hours 35 minutes 38 seconds 283

Total HMAS Sydney (II) ROV Footage Time: 39 hours 1 minute 30 seconds, 469 Files

Discounted Battle Site (Geological Outcrops) Video Footage
Date Time Range (AWST) Duration Files
to 3 hours 45 minutes 55 seconds 46
HSK Kormoran Wreck Footage
Date Time Range (AWST) Duration Files
to 1 hour 0 minutes 12 seconds 12
to 3 hours 45 minutes 44 seconds 45
Total Wreck Footage 4 hours 45 minutes 56 seconds 57
HSK Kormoran Debris Field Footage
Date Time Range (AWST) Duration Files
to 1 hour 40 minutes 19 seconds 20
to 1 hour 30 minutes 18 seconds 18
Total Debris Field Footage 3 hours 10 minutes 37 seconds 38

Total HSK Kormoran ROV Footage Time: 7 hours 56 minutes 33 seconds, 95 Files

Total ROV Footage (HMAS Sydney (II), Discounted Battle Site, HSK Kormoran): 50 hours 43 minutes 58 seconds, 610 Files

end.