| Max Bryant was not prepared to sit by and watch the youth of the area degenerate in to an unemployable group with little or no job prospects and, seemingly the only option open to them, the dole queue. He believed that the kids only needed an opportunity to prove their ability so they can become valued members of the community. In the late nineties after much deliberation he created and designed the now Western Port Maritime Memorial Centre with the view of developing a tourism project that would lead to job opportunities within the community.
The project had to have a unique feature that was strong enough to draw visitors from the Port Phillip side of the Peninsula. He made the decision to pursue a submarine to put on display, not ever seeing a submarine before Max had no idea of the daunting task he was taking on. He managed to convince other members of the public in the merit of the project and in August 1999 a group formed the Western Port Oberon Association to try and address some of the towns problems. After extensive research the group decided to fully adopt the Max Bryant proposal of the Western Port Maritime Memorial Centre and to attempt to secure an Oberon class Submarine as a major attraction.
The submarine would make the attraction unique in Victoria and Otama being the last Australian Oberon Class submarine the prospect of another similar attraction was highly unlikely. Not only was the intention to build a major tourism facility, but to re-confirm the area?s longstanding association with HMAS Cerberus It was on April 1st 1921 when the Royal Australian Navy commissioned its latest training facility the Flinders Naval Depot just down the road from Hastings at Crib Point. It was the beginning of a new era for the local community. Eager young recruits each pay day would head for Hastings the closest large township. This, together with a large local workforce employed to maintain the base ensured the economical growth of the Hastings community. HMAS Otama HMAS Otama was commissioned in to the Royal Australian Navy by HRH The Princess Royal in April 1978. Otama was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Greenock for the Royal Australian Navy.
HMAS Otama hold the distinction of being the last of the class, the last of six Australian Oberon Class submarines and the last Oberon Class submarine built. Otama carries the historic title as ?The last of the Line? and for that reason alone the boat has significant maritime heritage value. In mid December 1999 in an end of an era ceremony last remaining operational Oberon class submarine in the world was decommissioned from active naval service, this is our boat HMAS Otama. A very large portion of the world?s population, has long had, an indescribably fascination with the submarine, painted black they seem to project a sinister aurora, it is certainly the worlds ultimate stealth fighter.
There is no doubt that the Western Port Maritime Memorial Centre major drawcard will be HMAS Otama the Oberon class submarine affectionately known in the service as an ?O Boat?. HMAS Otama had a distinguished career and proudly served Australia for over twenty four years. At night external lighting will be used to highlight the ?sinister effect? by using special lighting under the hull. The light will appear to rap around the hull to give the impression of being under water. In Australia there has been in the past, a few sections of submarines on display, but until recently, there has never been a complete boat on public view.
Then HMAS Onslow located at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney was opened to the public. In the West, HMAS Ovens was purchased by the Fremantle Maritime Museum and is now on public exhibition. Initially open two days a week which was increases to three then weekly just recently, in eight months the boat has had over 55,000 visitors. So successful is the submarine display that the WA government has now relocated their entire maritime museum in to a new 24 million dollars facility alongside the submarine. | 
