The Royal Australian Navy’s first female pilot, Sub Lieutenant Natalee McDougall, RAN, graduated from the Australian Defence Academy’s helicopter training facility after 17 months of intensive classroom and practical training ...
Australian Naval History on 11 September 1998
HMAS TORRENS, (destroyer escort), was decommissioned at HMAS STIRLING, after a career lasting 27 years. TORRENS was the last of the six River class destroyer escorts, which commenced service in ...
Australian Naval History on 5 May 1998
A massive fire breaks out in the engine room of HMAS WESTRALIA, (tanker), then operating off the Western Australian coast, which leads to the deaths of four RAN personnel. Those ...
Australian Naval History on 31 January 1998
The Collins class submarine, HMAS FARNCOMB was commissioned at Adelaide, SA. FARNCOMB was laid down in the Australian Submarine Corporation, and launched on 15 December 1995. ...
Australian Naval History on 14 December 1997
The former destroyer escort HMAS SWAN was sunk as a dive wreck in Geographe Bay, WA. ...
Australian Naval History on 13 November 1997
HMAS Moresby decommissioned, having steamed 1,170,421.7nm (or 2,167,620.9km) in 88,241.8 hours underway. She retired as the oldest ship in the fleet at 33 years of age, and was the last ...
Australian Naval History on 1 July 1997
VADM D. B. Chalmers, AO, RAN, was appointed at Chief of Naval Staff. ...
Australian Naval History on 9 April 1997
Ex-HMAS VAMPIRE, (Daring class destroyer), was transferred outright, as a gift from the Australian Government to the Australian National Maritime Museum, in Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 11 February 1997
RADM C.A. Ritchie, AM, RAN, was appointed as Maritime Commander, Australia. ...
Australian Naval History on 9 January 1997
HMAS ADELAIDE’s Sea King helicopter was launched to conduct the rescue of round-the-world yachtsman Theirry Dubois. Dubois was winched onboard the helicopter later that morning and was described as “being ...
Australian Naval History on 7 January 1997
The tanker, HMAS WESTRALIA, (CMDR Ladomirski, RAN), sailed from HMAS STIRLING to support HMAS ADELAIDE in her rescue of two round-the-world solo yachtsmen, (Frenchman Thierry Dubois, and Briton Tony Bullimore). ...
Australian Naval History on 6 January 1997
PC3 Orion aircraft from 92 Wing, (RAAF Edinburgh), located the capsized yachts, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, and EXIDE CHALLENGER, in the Great Southern Ocean, and dropped life rafts. The guided missile frigate, ...
Australian Naval History on 5 January 1997
Two yachts in the Vendee Globe solo, non-stop circumnavigation race capsized in extreme rough weather in the Great Southern Ocean. The yachts, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, (Thierry Dubois), and EXIDE CHALLENGER, (Tony ...
Australian Naval History on 13 September 1996
HMAS SWAN, (destroyer escort), was decommissioned at HMAS STIRLING, WA, after a career spanning 26 years. She was later gifted to the West Australian State Government, and sunk as a ...
Australian Naval History on 27 July 1996
The Collins class submarine HMAS COLLINS, (CMDR P. R. Sinclair, RAN), was commissioned. COLLINS was laid down in The Australian Submarine Corporation Yard, Adelaide, SA, and launched on 28 August ...
Australian Naval History on 18 May 1996
The ANZAC class guided missile frigate, HMAS ANZAC was commissioned. ANZAC was laid down at Tenix Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and launched on 16 September 1994. Lieutenant Colonel V. Statham, AO, ...
Australian Naval History on 31 January 1996
The use of Morse key for sending messages formally ceased in the RAN after 85 years, to be replaced with modern communication systems. Visual Morse (or flashing light), however, still ...
Australian Naval History on 9 January 1996
HMAS CANBERRA, (guided missile frigate), left Sydney to be permanently base-ported at HMAS STIRLING, WA. ...
Australian Naval History on 21 December 1995
The badly damaged hulk of HMAS DERWENT was finally scuttled, by charges set by CDT 4, in deep water to the west of Rottnest Island, WA. During the previous 10 ...
Australian Naval History on 1 December 1995
HMAS OVENS, (Oberon class submarine), decommissioned at HMAS STIRLING, WA. ...
Australian Naval History on 24 October 1995
The last of twenty Pacific patrol boats built in Australia for presentation to developing nations in the Pacific will have raised their new national flags. The PPB’s were built for ...
Australian Naval History on 13 April 1995
RADM C. J. Oxenbould, AO, RAN, was appointed as Maritime Commander, Australia. ...
Australian Naval History on 10 April 1995
MSA KORAAGA, (auxiliary minesweeper), discovered the wreck of the hospital ship CENTAUR, 9.3 nautical miles due east of Cape Moreton, QLD. ...
Australian Naval History on 25 November 1994
The landing platform amphibious HMAS MANOORA, was commissioned. MANOORA was the former USS FAIRFAX COUNTY, (THSS), which had been commissioned into the USN in 1971. ...
Australian Naval History on 18 November 1994
HMAS Kanimbla II arrived in Sydney for the first time after commissioning in the United States. ...