to take on various heavy industrial projects outside of shipbuilding, and although priority remained with naval work under the owners' agreement with the government, to conduct substantial commercial shipping work. The new heavy engineering aspect saw it also building machinery for mines and dams, later to include the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The shipyard again saw a substantial increase in work during World War II. It was the main ship repair base in the South Pacific for a period following the Fall of Singapore. 19 new ships were built and major repairs undertaken on 40 Allied warships. Over £400,000 was spent on upgrades during the war, including a new turbine shop, brass foundry, plater's shed, welding workshop and slipway were built during the war. The construction of the turbine shop and foundry had required extensive excavation of the cliff face, with the excavated rock then used to reclaim land for further facilities. A new motor transport system was also instigated during the war. Following the war, the shipyard then engaged in refitting naval vessels for commercial service. In 1947, Vickers Limited gained the majority of shares in the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company, and Vickers Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Pty Ltd, formed in 1948, would formally operate the dockyard for the remainder of its existence. The old Sutherland Wharf was upgraded between 1962 and 1965, and a new Sutherland Wharf built in 1971, with new submarine refit facilities opened in the same year. The last major commercial contract undertaken by the dockyard was , completed in 1965. A new agreement in 1972 meant that Cockatoo Island no longer had preferential treatment for Commonwealth work except submarines, which thereafter became a significant portion of the dockyard's business. The dockyard unsuccessfully tendered for several large naval shipbuilding projects following the new agreement. The ownership of Vickers Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd was transferred to a new company, Vickers Australia Pty Ltd, in 1978. It merged with the Commonwealth Steel Company to form Comsteel Vickers in 1984, and the combined company was sold to Australian National Industries in 1986. The last ship to be built at the dockyard was , then the largest naval vessel built in Australia, which launched on 3 March 1984. Laid down marine vessels Marine vessels laid down at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard include: HMAS Adelaide, Town-class cruiser HMAS Albatross, seaplane tender HMAS Arunta, Tribal-class destroyer HMAS Barcoo, River-class frigate HMAS