HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), and HMAS STUART, (destroyer escort), arrived in the cyclone destroyed city of Darwin. Over the following days they were joined by HMA Ships STALWART, HOBART, SUPPLY, ...
Australian Naval History on 31 December 1974
HMA Ships BRISBANE and FLINDERS were the first ships to arrive in Darwin, to commence work as part of Operation Navy Help, the cleanup and rebuilding of Darwin following the ...
Australian Naval History on 26 December 1974
Operation Navy Help, to assist with the clean up and re-establishment of services in the shattered city of Darwin, commenced. The first RAN asset to arrive was an HS748 aircraft, ...
Australian Naval History on 25 December 1974
Cyclone Tracy struck and leveled the city of Darwin. The Naval Headquarters building was destroyed, and the Naval Officer Commanding Northern Australia, (CAPT E. E. Johnston, OBE, RAN), and two ...
Australian Naval History on 26 November 1974
HMAS Salamaua was decommissioned and recommissioned into the Papua New Guinea Defence Force as HMPNGS Salamaua ...
Australian Naval History on 22 November 1974
HRH Queen Elizabeth II approved the immediate award of the AFC to LEUT A. Baker, RAN, for ‘great skill, coolness and initiative in the rescue of survivors from the Danish ...
Australian Naval History on 14 November 1974
HMA Ships Aitape, Ladava, Lae, Madang, Samarai and Tarangau decommissioned as units of the RAN and recommissioned flying the new White Ensign of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) ...
Australian Naval History on 18 October 1974
RAN Clearance Divers completed the disposal of 5,096 pieces of WWII ordnance in Papua-New Guinea. ...
Australian Naval History on 12 October 1974
HMA Ships Brisbane, Melbourne, Stuart, Supply, Vendetta (II),Torrens (II) and Derwent, and the submarine Onslow conducted a fleet entry into Sydney Harbour. The ships were dressed overall as part of ...
Australian Naval History on 4 October 1974
HMAS ANZAC was paid off at Sydney. She had steamed 693,582.1 miles since commissioning. On 24 November 1975 Anzac (II) was sold to Hifirm Corporation Ltd of Hong Kong. She ...
Australian Naval History on 27 September 1974
The landing craft heavy HMAS BALIKPAPAN, (LEUT M. D. Otter, RAN), was commissioned. BALIKPAPAN was laid down in Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD, and completed in 1972. Mrs Peacock, (Wife of ...
Australian Naval History on 7 September 1974
HMAS BOMBARD, (LEUT R. Cook, RAN), completed the first circumnavigation of Australia by a patrol boat. ...
Australian Naval History on 28 August 1974
Iroquois helicopters of the RAN Fleet Air Arm rescued 112 people when the Shoalhaven River broke its banks. Another 240 people were rescued by Navy personnel in ground operations. ...
Australian Naval History on 14 August 1974
HMAS Duchess recommissioned and replaced HMAS Anzac (II), which had decommissioned just three days before, as the Fleet Training Ship ...
Australian Naval History on 11 August 1974
HMAS ANZAC, (Battle class destroyer), was paid off for disposal at Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 11 July 1974
Damage was minimal when the Greek cruise liner AUSTRALIS, collided with HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), off Garden Island, Sydney. MELBOURNE was berthed at the time, and AUSTRALIS was approaching her ...
Australian Naval History on 19 June 1974
HMAS BUNA, (landing craft heavy), lost her bow ramp in heavy seas off the NSW coast. She was taken in tow and brought safely into port by HMAS PARRAMATTA, (destroyer ...
Australian Naval History on 17 June 1974
LEUT K. Frank, RAN, of Samarai, Papua-New Guinea, was appointed to command HMAS LADAVA, (patrol boat). LEUT Frank was the first New Guinea native to command a ship of the ...
Australian Naval History on 25 May 1974
HMAS SWAN, (destroyer escort), rescued the crew of the disabled yacht CUTTY SARK, in 95 knot winds south of Norah Head, NSW. PO D. Krietling, AB R. Lindsay, and AB ...
Australian Naval History on 13 May 1974
The rank of Commodore was established as a one-star rank in the RAN. ...
Australian Naval History on 6 March 1974
HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), picked up a boat containing survivors from the merchant ship WARAWI, which had foundered in the Arafura Sea. ...
Australian Naval History on 10 February 1974
HMAS TORRENS escorted the royal yacht BRITANNIA on the Royal Tour of the Pacific. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 February 1974
The landing craft heavy HMAS BETANO, was commissioned. BETANO was laid down in Walkers Yard, Maryborough, QLD, in September 1972, and launched on 5 December 1972. ...
Australian Naval History on 4 February 1974
RADM D. C. Wells, CBE, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 February 1974
HMAS CAIRNS, (Shore Establishment in Cairns), was commissioned. ...