The Department of the Navy ceased to exist. It was merged with the Departments of Army and Air to form the Department of Defence. ...
Australian Naval History on 23 November 1973
VADM Sir Hugh David Stevenson, AC, KBE, was appointed Chief of Naval Staff. ...
Australian Naval History on 16 November 1973
HMAS BANDOLIER, (patrol boat), was transferred to the Indonesian Navy and renamed SIBARAU. ...
Australian Naval History on 12 November 1973
HMAS Sydney decommissioned, by which time she had steamed 395,591 miles as a fast troop transport. Since first commissioning in 1948 she had steamed 711,549 miles. Stripped of all useful ...
Australian Naval History on 8 November 1973
Skyhawk A4G (889) crashed due to catapult failure while launching from MELBOURNE during multinational exercise near Singapore. SBLT Barry Evans remained in the aircraft while the ship passed overhead and ...
Australian Naval History on 19 October 1973
The landing craft heavy HMAS SALAMAUA, was commissioned. SALAMAUA was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, Queensland. ...
Australian Naval History on 18 October 1973
UPI and AP issued a press release quoting: General Brown, US Air Force Chief-of-Staff; ‘Early in the summer of 1968 near the Demilitarised Zone, [Vietnam], there was a series of ...
Australian Naval History on 10 August 1973
The landing craft heavy HMAS WEWAK, was commissioned. WEWAK was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in March 1972, and launched on 18 May 1972. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 August 1973
HMAS BETANO, (landing ship heavy), was commissioned. ...
Australian Naval History on 23 July 1973
The bow and stern sections of the WWI torpedo boat destroyer HMAS PARRAMATTA, were salvaged from a mud bank on the Hawkesbury River, where she had foundered in 1934. The ...
Australian Naval History on 20 July 1973
The Australian Government decided to pay off HMAS SYDNEY, (fast troop transport). ...
Australian Naval History on 28 June 1973
The frigate HMNZS OTAGO, (CMDR Alan Tyrrell, RNZN), departed New Zealand for the French territory of Mururoa Atoll to protest against the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. OTAGO was re-fuelled ...
Australian Naval History on 25 June 1973
HMAS Supply sailed from Sydney having received orders to support HMNZS Otago on a protest mission to observe French nuclear atmospheric tests taking place at Mururoa Atoll in the South ...
Australian Naval History on 15 June 1973
The landing craft heavy HMAS TARAKAN, was commissioned. TARAKAN was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in December 1971, and launched on 16 March 1972. ...
Australian Naval History on 31 May 1973
HMAS Teal paid off. Teal remained in the Reserve Fleet for several years before finally being sold in October 1977. ...
Australian Naval History on 3 May 1973
The patrol boat HMAS ACUTE, (LCDR R. P. Rodriguez, RANR), apprehended and arrested two Taiwanese fishing boats which were poaching in Australian waters, near the Monte Bello Islands, WA. ...
Australian Naval History on 27 April 1973
The hydrographic survey ship, (small), HMAS FLINDERS, (LCDR I. S. Pullar, RAN), was commissioned. FLINDERS was laid down in Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC, in February 1971, and launched on 29 ...
Australian Naval History on 30 March 1973
HMAS PALUMA, (survey vessel), was paid off for disposal at Sydney. She was then sold to a Queensland based company who renamed her MATLOCK, and used her for hydrographic work, ...
Australian Naval History on 21 March 1973
HMA Ships Derwent and Perth sailed into Massawa, Ethiopia’s chief port , firing a 21 gun salute which was returned by the Imperial Ethiopian Navy. His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile ...
Australian Naval History on 9 March 1973
The landing craft heavy HMAS LABUAN, (LEUT Henry Old, RAN), was commissioned. LABUAN was laid down at Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in October 1971, and launched on 29 December 1971. ...
Australian Naval History on 31 January 1973
HMAS KARA KARA, (boom defence vessel), and a former Sydney vehicle ferry, was sunk as a combined surface gunnery and aerial missile target off Sydney Heads. ...
Australian Naval History on 23 January 1973
RADM A. M. Synnot was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet. ...
Australian Naval History on 5 January 1973
The landing craft heavy, HMAS BRUNEI, (LEUT D. Sando, RAN), was commissioned. BRUNEI was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in July 1971, and launched on 15 October 1971. ...
Australian Naval History on 5 December 1972
HMA Ship ODIN, (submarine), an RN submarine on loan to the Australian Fleet for training purposes, joined the First Australian Submarine Squadron at Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 24 August 1972
HMAS Parramatta gained the distinction of being the 1000th vessel to enter the Captain Cook graving dock in Sydney since it commissioned in 1945. ...