Victoria Chapter

CHAPTER MEETINGS ARE HELD ON THE FOURTH MONDAY OF THE MONTH AT THE WAVERLEY RSL
The Waverley RSL is located at 161 Coleman Parade, Glen Waverley, and is conveniently situated opposite the Glen Waverley railway station. The RSL car park is free but you need to display a ticket on your dashboard (obtainable from reception) or use the public car park opposite.

Our September Meeting is at 1900 on Monday 22 September 2025 upstairs at the Waverley RSL – Sunset Room.

Guest Speaker CMDR Doug Stevens RAN (Rtd)

“RAN Seapower in the 1970s”

Doug Stevens joined the Royal Australian Naval College in 1968, and after obtaining his degree, spent many of his early years at sea following his chosen career path as a Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer (WEEO).

He initially served in HMA Ships Queenborough, Stuart, Melbourne, Brisbane and Stalwart, then as Deputy WEEO in HMAS Torrens and as WEEO in HMA ships Yarra and Hobart.   He also served in the Gunshop at Williamstown Dockyard between 1974-1977, and as an electronic warfare specialist in Canberra between 1977-1980.  After a final stint as Fleet WEEO in Sydney, he transferred to the Standby Reserve in 1988.

Doug started and ran two small Defence Industry companies, one in Perth and the other in Auckland. The Auckland company designed, built and delivered eleven ship communications sub-systems sets for the ANZAC Frigate.  After that company eventually lapsed, Doug joined Television New Zealand where he worked for 15 years before returning to Australia in 2009 and transferring to the RAN Active Reserve.

In 2010 he was commissioned to research and write a Future-Submarines Basing Study.  This report, which has since been updated to reflect the nuclear AUKUS submarine decisions, underpins present Defence thinking about the creation of an east coast submarine home port.

Doug finally retired from the RAN in 2018, though he continued as a contract writer of RAN Technical Manuals until 2023.

He remains an active member of the ex- Navy community in Melbourne and has kindly agreed to host this event, which will feature video coverage from roughly 50 years ago that shows key moments in the development of the RAN Fleet.

Membership of the NHSA automatically entitles you to be part of the Victoria Chapter and to share in its activities.

We hold our monthly meetings in the well-appointed “Sunset Room” at the RSL – easy access is provided by an adjacent lift.  Our program is listed on the website, and we either have a Guest Speaker or show a film.  Meetings start at approximately 7.00 pm and finish by 9.00 pm.

The “Warramunga Restaurant” on the ground floor opens at 5.30pm and a number of members and guests take the opportunity to enjoy a few drinks at the bar from 5pm onwards before heading to the Restaurant. Please be seated by 5.45pm to ensure the meeting starts on time.

Our Secretary Lynda Gilbert coordinates the booking of tables, so please let her know in advance by email lynda.gilbert@aol.com if you are intending to join us for dinner.

If joining us for the first time, please let us know when you plan to visit by contacting Andrew Mackinnon and we will ensure you are made welcome.

The Chapter produces a monthly newsletter called the ‘Three-Headed Dog’, containing a variety of articles of interest.  Edited by Andrew Mackinnon, this is published 11 times a year and is distributed by email to Victorian members free of charge.  Copies of the latest and previous ‘Three-Headed Dog’ newsletters can be found on the

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