Australian River-class frigates used locally familiar components rather than importing a single fixed machinery package. Their Admiralty three-drum boilers differed from the Scotch marine boilers fitted to Flower-class corvettes. Diamantina's vertical triple-expansion plant was made domestically and used three expansion stages across four cylinders. Its workmanship and efficiency show that Australian factories could meet demanding naval standards. The machinery choice joined a British design lineage to production skills already available in Australia.
Chapter · 27:35-28:53
Australian-built boilers and triple-expansion machinery
Diamantina's locally produced boilers and engines show how Australia adapted the River design to machinery its wartime industrial base could manufacture well.