On a recent visit to the navy base HMAS Creswell I was shown some of the many exhibits on display throughout the base.
This beautifully made timber wheel is from HMAS Adelaide 1.
It's called the aft steering wheel and was fitted in warships to continue fighting should the bridge be shot away. The aft steering wheel directly drives the rudders and requires 6 men to operate.
The aft steering position was purely man/mechanical, no power assist! The wheelhouse was always below the bridge, What many don't realize, is that, on earlier ships, the helmsman could not see where he was going, relying entirely on conning directions from the bridge...
Aft steering wheel.
HMAS Adelaide.
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