You guys are bringing back memories for me. When I first got my machine, it had a broken heater element mount at the back, where it goes over the drain hole at the back of the drum. I suspect it was coin damage - there was a coin in the sump. On spin (with a load, it worked perfect when empty) the heating element vibrated up and down really hard, banging against the spinning drum. I fixed that by making up a stud-type mount in the floor of the drum, just in front of the drain hole. It is a stainless steel bolt, with washers and extra nuts as spacers, so that when I re-fitted the front of the drum with the element attached, the element went around the stud, with the inner "U" of the element trapped between two washers of the mount. It sounds dodgy but it worked for years.
After the catastrophic failure in your machine, you might want to double check that the element is engaging properly with the rear mount, and that the element hasn't been damaged.
That drum looks a pretty good match you know. As the fast spin only lasts a few seconds, I wouldn't be too worried about it. Those weights at the front of the drum bolt into place, you are probably supposed to unbolt them from your old drum and carry them across. the mounting holes are there on your new drum.
All that corrosion and breakage of the spider is pretty common over here - I reckon it is usually a combination of overdosing with cheap rubbish detergents, and using cold wash cycles - though that 9560w doesn't have a cold wash option, does it? I have just replaced the spider and bearings on an LG which was manufactured in 2003 so your Hotpoint hasn't done too bad.
you asked if I know the history of mine. I have no idea, but I'd bet it was brought out by an immigrant from the UK or an Aussie returning home from the UK. I have seen another one of these machines for sale here, it was at a company who imported second hand, ex-repair and factory second grade (B-class I think it is called in UK) appliances and TVs from the UK. They had a showroom full of unusual front loaders - Hoover Logics with a royal crest onthe dispenser drawer; an Electra brand machine with pink and grey plastic, the drum in that appeared jammed solid; Some Zanussi, Electrolux and Servis machines of 80s vintage (I saw them in the 1990s), and one or two Hotpoint 9560s with white plastic trim. Other lesser model 1980s Hotpoints too. I was like a kid in a lolly shop, I wanted them all. These machines would have no spares available and were sold to unsuspecting customers who would not have known they were orphans. Having said that, I bought a TV from them, a Tatung made in UK, and it has given me over ten years good service. Tatung TVs have never been sold here. The tuner has long since packed up but I use it with a digital set top box and satellite box so I don't need the tuner in the TV to work. (That second hand tv cost me over $400 in the mid nineties, I could buy a similar one brand new now for about $120.) Anyway, enough rambling.
Good luck with your Hotpoint.
Chris.