HMAS BANKS, (general purpose vessel), was commissioned. BANKS was laid down at Walker’s Yard, Maryborough, QLD in 1959, and launched on 15 December 1959. She and her sister ship BASS, ...
Australian Naval History on 7 December 1959
HMAS Warramunga paid off. After 18 months in reserve she was declared for disposal on 22 May 1961. On 15 February 1963 she was sold to the Japanese firm Kinoshita ...
Australian Naval History on 25 November 1959
The Defence Forces Retirement Benefits Bill was passed by the Australian Parliament. This was the first comprehensive retirement scheme for all ranks of the RAN. ...
Australian Naval History on 13 November 1959
HMAS DIAMANTINA, (oceanographic survey ship), obtained samples from the sea floor at a depth of 5,706 m off Bali. ...
Australian Naval History on 7 November 1959
HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (Tribal class destroyer), was paid off for disposal at Sydney. ...
Australian Naval History on 20 October 1959
The RAN’s three Daring Class destroyers operated together for the first time, when Vendetta II, Vampire II and Voyager II conducted a series of exercises and manoeuvres in Jervis Bay ...
Australian Naval History on 26 September 1959
HMAS QUIBERON, (frigate), escorted the Bass Strait ferry PRINCESS OF TASMANIA on her maiden voyage from Melbourne to Devonport. ...
Australian Naval History on 18 August 1959
817 squadron, flying the Fairey Gannet AS.1, decommissioned. ...
Australian Naval History on 24 July 1959
HMS TELEMACHUS, (submarine), returned to Sydney after an exercise in which whales were tagged from the submarine. Professor Dawbin, of Sydney University, fired the tags into the whales, using a ...
Australian Naval History on 23 June 1959
The Daring class destroyer HMAS VAMPIRE, (CAPT E. J. Peel, DSC, RAN), was commissioned at Sydney. VAMPIRE was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard Sydney, on 1 July 1952, and ...
Australian Naval History on 22 June 1959
HMAS Diamantina was recommissioned into the RAN as a survey and oceanographic research vessel. Diamantina had previously paid off to the reserve in August 1946 after service in New Guinea ...
Australian Naval History on 8 June 1959
HMAS Cootamundra paid off. Declared for disposal on 27 September 1961, she was sold to Banks Bros & Street on 28 March 1962 ...
Australian Naval History on 20 May 1959
LEUT(P) Stanley Ray Carmichael RAN & ASLT(O) Mike Williams RAN lost their lives when their Sea Venom aircraft of 724 Squadron flew into the sea whilst on a photographic exercise ...
Australian Naval History on 24 April 1959
HMA Ships SWAN and WARREGO commenced a three-month survey of the Outer Whitsunday Passage, QLD. ...
Australian Naval History on 18 April 1959
The Minister for the Navy, Mr. J. Gorton, announced the frigates BARCOO, DIAMANTINA, and GASCOYNE, were to be re-commissioned. ...
Australian Naval History on 23 March 1959
VADM Roy Dowling, DSO, RAN, is appointed Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, (the forerunner of the Chief of the Defence Force). ...
Australian Naval History on 24 February 1959
VADM Sir Henry Burrell, CB, OBE, was appointed as Chief of Naval Staff. ...
Australian Naval History on 31 January 1959
HMAS PARRAMATTA, (destroyer escort), was commissioned at Sydney. PARRAMATTA was the second ship of her class built in Australia. ...
Australian Naval History on 3 December 1958
HMAS Kookaburra paid off at Sydney and without any further sea-going service was removed from the Navy list and declared for disposal on 24 June 1965. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 December 1958
808 Squadron, flying Sea Venoms, decommissioned at Nowra. ...
Australian Naval History on 26 November 1958
The Daring class destroyer HMAS VENDETTA, (CAPT R. J. Robertson, DSC, RAN), was commissioned. VENDETTA was laid down in Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, on 4 July 1949, and launched on 3 ...
Australian Naval History on 18 August 1958
817 Squadron, flying Gannetts, decommissioned.. ...
Australian Naval History on 8 August 1958
HMAS HORSHAM, (minesweeper), was sold for breaking up. ...
Australian Naval History on 18 July 1958
The first issue of the RAN’s newspaper, Navy News, was published. HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), accidentally rammed the caisson of the Albert Dock, at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, where she ...
Australian Naval History on 4 July 1958
HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (destroyer), represented Australia at the 12th anniversary of the Philippines’ Republic. ...