The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the Traditional Owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this digital guide may include images, sounds, and names of now deceased persons.

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One of our experienced volunteer tour guides leads a captivated tour group inside the submarine.

HMAS Ovens Photogallery

Tour the submarine

The Oberon class Submarine HMAS Ovens is an authentic Cold War-era vessel situated on Fremantle's historic World War Two submarine slipway. 

This exhibit serves as a living memorial to submariners and those who gave their lives while serving from Fremantle during World War Two.

Speak to our VSO staff and book your tour today.

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Beside the Museum, the big submarine sits behind a fence with three historic loading cranes around it.
HMAS Ovens Submarine.
Credit: WA Museum
Looking down the long steel side of the submarine, we can see one of the old Harbour loading towers, and the harbour opening to the sea.
HMAS Ovens Submarine.
Credit: WA Museum
One of our experienced volunteer tour guides awaits a tour group from the submarine's walkway.
HMAS Ovens Submarine.
Credit: WA Museum
One of our experienced volunteer tour guides with a tour group on the walkway above the submarine.
HMAS Ovens submarine tour.
Credit: WA Museum
Submarine tour participants carefully use one of the metal ladders.
HMAS Ovens submarine tour.
Credit: WA Museum
A boy in school uniform climbs through a narrow submarine hatch, a cheeky grin on his face.
An HMAS Ovens submarine tour is an exciting excursion for school groups.
Credit: WA Museum
A long, neatly aligned row of pressure measurement dials mounted on one of the sub's huge engines.
HMAS Ovens submarine engine.
Credit: WA Museum
An orange protective suit with full face shield hangs next to four torpedo tubes.
HMAS Ovens torpedo room.
Credit: WA Museum
Two young tour participants happily greet one another from opposite ends of a narrow corridor.
HMAS Ovens submarine tour.
Credit: WA Museum
Two submarine crew wearing hearing protection smile at the camera inside a cramped compartment. One has his arm around the other's shoulders.
Submarine crew.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Four bearded submarine crew gathered around a table playing cards.
Men at rest in a submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
On the top of a submarine in the water stand five submarine crew, four of them dressed in only shorts, surround meat cooking on a barbecue.
Relaxing with a barbecue.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Many submarine crew crowded in a control room. They are all wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts or casual t-shirts. In the centre is a large periscope with a crew member looking into the eyepiece.
Men working in submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Two submarine crew dressed for a hot environment either side of a periscope. One is looking into the eyepiece.
Men working in submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Two young men in blue shirts and white aprons cook at a submarine kitchen. One is wearing a cap with their vessel's insignia.
Preparing food aboard a submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Several submarine crew members crowd around a cramped cabin table smiling at the camera.
Men at rest in a submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Submarine crew gathered around a table looking at charts. One is holding a telephone and another is speaking into a radio.
Damage Control HQ in Wardroom.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Three bunks stacked vertically against the submarine wall, each with a crew member sleeping. Above the bunks on the ceiling, someone has jokingly mounted a yellow "No Swimming" warning sign with the open mouth of a crocodile.
Sleeping quarters on a submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A smiling crewmember in a t-shirt forces a tightly-wrapped bundle of garbage into a narrow metal chute.
Getting rid of garbage on a submarine.
Submarine Association WA Branch
One crew is hunched over a large wall panel of dials while another sits tightly gripping the sub's steering wheel.
Men driving a submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A shirtless man is crouched underneath a very large and heavy torpedo as it is loaded into a tube.
Loading torpedoes.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A crewmember with two plates of food squeezes past another in a narrow corridor.
Meal time on the submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A grinning shirtless submarine crewmember sits in front of a panel of many dials.
Motor Room Watchkeepers.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A grainy black and white photo of two crew in overalls working in the tight corridor of the submarine.
On watch in the Aft ends of the submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A black and white photo of several sailors in clean white uniforms gathered on top of the sub. An Australian flag is raised.
On watch on the Bridge.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
On the top of the submarine, a sailor in a bathing suit smiles from a fabric shallow pool filled with water. Several other men sun themselves on the deck.
Sunning by the pool.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Around a table with many Tooheys Draught beer cans, game cards and a large colourful board game board sit crew members planning their next move in the game.
Playing RISK in the Afterends.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
An officer in a dark Navy jacket and tie looks over a crew member working on a nautical chart.
Plotting the course on the surface.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A young man looks up at the camera from the bottom of a room that is no larger than a wardrobe.
Storing the Coxswains store.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Many crew are gathered in bathing wear on top of the submarine. Some are swimming in the water.
Swimming over the side.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A grinning crewmember holding a small bird cage containing a budgerigar sitting on a perch.
Trevor the budgie.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A grinning crewmember takes the submarine's steering wheel.
Driving a submarine.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Crewmembers in clean white uniforms lounge around a mess table. One taps a cigarette on an ashtray.
Wardroom Mess Officers relaxing.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
A crew member in white peers through a periscope.
A submarine's control room.
Credit: Submarine Association WA Branch
Beside the Museum, the big submarine sits behind a fence with three historic loading cranes around it.
Looking down the long steel side of the submarine, we can see one of the old Harbour loading towers, and the harbour opening to the sea.
One of our experienced volunteer tour guides awaits a tour group from the submarine's walkway.
One of our experienced volunteer tour guides with a tour group on the walkway above the submarine.
Submarine tour participants carefully use one of the metal ladders.
A boy in school uniform climbs through a narrow submarine hatch, a cheeky grin on his face.
A long, neatly aligned row of pressure measurement dials mounted on one of the sub's huge engines.
An orange protective suit with full face shield hangs next to four torpedo tubes.
Two young tour participants happily greet one another from opposite ends of a narrow corridor.
Two submarine crew wearing hearing protection smile at the camera inside a cramped compartment. One has his arm around the other's shoulders.
Four bearded submarine crew gathered around a table playing cards.
On the top of a submarine in the water stand five submarine crew, four of them dressed in only shorts, surround meat cooking on a barbecue.
Many submarine crew crowded in a control room. They are all wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts or casual t-shirts. In the centre is a large periscope with a crew member looking into the eyepiece.
Two submarine crew dressed for a hot environment either side of a periscope. One is looking into the eyepiece.
Two young men in blue shirts and white aprons cook at a submarine kitchen. One is wearing a cap with their vessel's insignia.
Several submarine crew members crowd around a cramped cabin table smiling at the camera.
Submarine crew gathered around a table looking at charts. One is holding a telephone and another is speaking into a radio.
Three bunks stacked vertically against the submarine wall, each with a crew member sleeping. Above the bunks on the ceiling, someone has jokingly mounted a yellow "No Swimming" warning sign with the open mouth of a crocodile.
A smiling crewmember in a t-shirt forces a tightly-wrapped bundle of garbage into a narrow metal chute.
One crew is hunched over a large wall panel of dials while another sits tightly gripping the sub's steering wheel.
A shirtless man is crouched underneath a very large and heavy torpedo as it is loaded into a tube.
A crewmember with two plates of food squeezes past another in a narrow corridor.
A grinning shirtless submarine crewmember sits in front of a panel of many dials.
A grainy black and white photo of two crew in overalls working in the tight corridor of the submarine.
A black and white photo of several sailors in clean white uniforms gathered on top of the sub. An Australian flag is raised.
On the top of the submarine, a sailor in a bathing suit smiles from a fabric shallow pool filled with water. Several other men sun themselves on the deck.
Around a table with many Tooheys Draught beer cans, game cards and a large colourful board game board sit crew members planning their next move in the game.
An officer in a dark Navy jacket and tie looks over a crew member working on a nautical chart.
A young man looks up at the camera from the bottom of a room that is no larger than a wardrobe.
Many crew are gathered in bathing wear on top of the submarine. Some are swimming in the water.
A grinning crewmember holding a small bird cage containing a budgerigar sitting on a perch.
A grinning crewmember takes the submarine's steering wheel.
Crewmembers in clean white uniforms lounge around a mess table. One taps a cigarette on an ashtray.
A crew member in white peers through a periscope.
One of our experienced volunteer tour guides leads a captivated tour group inside the submarine.

HMAS Ovens submarine tour.
Credit: WA Museum

The Western Australian Museum acknowledges and respects the Traditional Owners of their ancestral lands, waters and skies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are advised that this digital guide may include images, sounds, and names of now deceased persons.