By Mike Carlton, published by Random House Australia. A 448-page illustrated paperback with photographs. Available at all good booksellers from about $30.00. Some chroniclers are ideal authors for their subject ...
Naval history
What’s in a Name: The Ben Boyd National Park
By Walter Burroughs The French Revolution of 1789 declared ‘All men are born and remain free and equal in rights’. This virtually brought about the end of slavery but it ...
Emperor to General: the last days of Napoléon Bonaparte
By Fairlie Clifton In 2021 at the time of the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon, the author of this article was reminded that Napoleon’s surrender to England had ...
The British Centre: from Hyde Park to Hornsby Hospital
With thanks to Councillor Nathan Tilbury of the Hornsby Council, the Vice President of the Hornsby Historical Society, and a local paper The Bush Telegraph (February 2022) we are pleased ...
Third Officer Ruby Boye BEM WRANS
The remarkable story of Mrs. Ruby Boye has recently received considerable media attention. This version, dictated later in her life by Mrs. Boye to her friend and neighbour Mrs. Joy ...
Presentation and Dedication of an Australian White Ensign at St Johns Church Birchgrove on Sunday 19 June 2022
With kind permission of the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral M.J. Noonan AO RAN, the Naval Historical Society of Australia presented an Australian White Ensign to St John’s Church Birchgrove, ...
HMAS Bombo and Able Seaman Robert Klippel RANR
By Colin Randall Less than two hours south from Sydney lies the picturesque coastal town of Kiama. On the outskirts sits Bombo Heads with a huge bite taken out of ...
An Essay on Lessons to be Learnt from the Korean War
By MIDN Li-Chun Chen RAN Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Chen grew up in Melbourne where they developed a love of learning with particular interests in science and philosophy. The younger ...
The Royal Charter Tragedy
A shipping venture to service the Australian colonies had unforeseen consequences for gold miners who had struck it rich and were returning to their homelands with wealth. After nearly two ...
My Father’s Service in the RNZAF during WWII: Airman Pilot Ian Speedy RNZAF
By Max Speedy This article first appeared in the June 2022 edition of the RAN Fleet Air Arm magazine Slipstream Vol 33 No 2 and is reproduced by kind permission ...
MV Fairsea and Fire at Sea
A recently joined member of our Society, Kristiane Molloy, has provided an interesting story of her first voyage as a twenty-one-year-old nurse in 1969. She was a passenger aboard the ...
Pacific Support Vessel Reliant
By Ross Gillett Dodging showers, on Thursday, 21 July a baker’s dozen of Naval Historical Society members led by our president was invited to inspect the new Pacific Support Vessel ...
Occasional Paper 144: HMAS Nizam – Typhoon 1945
First published in the December 1994 edition of the Naval Historical Review On 12 September, 1945, HMAS Nizam, a fleet destroyer of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla, sailed from Tokyo Bay, ...
Occasional Paper 143: HMAS Adelaide: The Final Years in Neutral Bay
By John C. Jeremy, AM Vice President NHSA The archives of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron are extensive and contain a priceless collection of material relating to sailing and the ...
Occasional Paper 145: The Royal Australian Navy’s Involvement in the Burma Campaign and the part played by HMAS Norman
By Lorraine Fildes The Burma Campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of Burma. The campaign was waged against the Japanese in Burma, eastern India and ...
Occasional Paper 142: Spectacle Island – Historical Viewpoints
Janice Haworth contacted the Naval Historical Society about family photos relating to Spectacle Island early in the 20th century, Circa 1905 to 1919. These photos led to more interesting research ...
Corvette Memorial Booklet – A Tribute to Those Who Served
The Corvettes of the Royal Australian Navy were built in Australia and crewed by Australians. These ships served with distinction in all theatres of World War 2. This booklet is ...
Australian White Ensign Replacement Service, St Johns Church, Birchgrove, 19 June 2022
On Sunday 19 June 2022 a ceremony to present and dedicate a new White Ensign at St Johns Church in Birchgrove, NSW, was conducted to replace one originally presented to ...
Occasional Paper 140 : The Factors that Led to the Formation of the RAN in 1911
This short account of the May 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea focuses on the strategically significant outcomes of the battle and how they related to the future of World War 2 and Australians in particular. ...
Letter: HMAS Melbourne Repairs
The following letter has been received from John Jeremy who for many years served at Cockatoo Island Dockyard being its last Chief Executive. Dear Walter, The March 2022 edition of ...
Letter: HMAS Wagga – Seeing the Light
On 21 April 2022 we received a request from our dedicated member David Williams for help in identifying some objects from the corvette HMAS Wagga held in the City of ...
Letter: RAN ships launched in Australia
The Reverend Arthur Rix and ship launching ceremonies. The March 2022 edition of the NHR contained a story I Name this Ship which states that the Rev. Arthur Rix officiated ...
Book Review: On Contested Shores
On Contested Shores. The Evolving Role of Amphibious Operations in the History of Warfare. This large paperback of 452 pages edited by Timothy Heck and B. A. Friedman was published ...
Book Review: Once a Sailor
Once a Sailor. Soft cover of 324 pages by Ray Rees. RRP $32.95 also available from author Ramon.Rees@yahoo.com.au. Published by Vivid Publishing, Fremantle WA 2021. The author joined the RAN ...
Book Review: Sea Monsters – Savage Submarine Commanders of WWII
Sea Monsters – Savage Submarine Commanders of WWII, by Tony Matthews. Soft cover of 348 pages with b&w photographs. Published by Big Sky Publishing, Sydney, 2021. This book discusses the ...