Part II of this series appeared in the December 2023 edition of this magazine. By Robert Stephenson In 1952, after the acquisition of HMAS Sydney III, the Royal Navy lent ...
Logistics, Training and Support
HMS Devonshire and King Haakon VII
By James (JO) Morrice It is with great sadness that we hear of the recent passing of our friend and comrade Captain JO Morrice RAN and trust this short article ...
New Entry Officers’ Course Essays
In 1985 the Naval Historical Society (NHS) first donated an essay prize to the college. The prize consisted of a one-year subscription to the Society and a six-volume bound collection ...
Occasional Paper 146: Early Naval Training
On Wednesday, 1 October 1913 the Sydney Mail newspaper featured the following detailed report on early naval recruiting and training. Just three days later, on 4 October, Sydney Harbour would ...
End of an Era: Sail Training at Royal Australian Naval College
By LCDR David Jones RAN Changing Times From 2022, sailing has been removed from the initial training curriculum for new entry officers at RANC. Non-motorised small boat handling, sailing and ...
Book Review: Like a Wicked Noah’s Ark – The Nautical School Ships Vernon and Sobraon
Like a Wicked Noah’s Ark – The Nautical School Ships Vernon and Sobraon A paperback of 362 pages by Sarah Luke, published by Arcadia, 2020. RRP $44.00. As the old saying ...
How did we get USN 16-inch gun projectiles to Australia?
By Geoff Davidson In 1994 I was posted for three years to Washington DC as the RAN representative to provide weapon and ship follow-on support for the FFG ships HMA ...
Occasional Paper 126: A New Crane for Sydney’s Skyline
By John Jeremy Cranes are a regular feature of Sydney’s skyline, particularly the many construction cranes which, at a glance, reveal the state of the construction industry in Australia’s largest ...
Occasional Paper 117: A History of Australian Navy Health Sailor Uniforms and Ranks (Part 2)
By Commander Neil Westphalen, Royal Australian Navy This paper was first published in the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, Volume 26 Number 3 in July 2018. Commander Westphalen is ...
Occasional Paper 115: A History of Australian Navy Health Sailor Uniforms and Ranks (Part 1)
By Commander Neil Westphalen, Royal Australian Navy This paper was first published in the Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health, Volume 27 Number 2 in April 2019. Commander Westphalen is ...
Occasional Paper 77: HMAS Assault. WWII Combined Operations Directorate Establishment – Port Stephens NSW
By Dennis J Weatherall JP TM AFAITT(L) LSM – Volunteer Researcher HMAS Assault, also known as the Amphibious Training Centre to American personnel, was a combined operations establishment for training ...
Training Ship Nepean and Australian Navy Cadets
Your Editor and Mrs. Burroughs were pleased to accept an invitation to attend the End of Year Parade held by TS Nepean on 30 November 2019. This is an unusual ...
Occasional Paper 33: HMAS Cerberus – Early History and Observations
August 2018 This paper was developed after locating a 1970 HMAS Cerberus Wardroom mess dinner menu. The menu included observations by prominent citizens about HMAS Cerberus and its location at ...
Occasional Paper 28: Cockatoo Island – An Historical Account
June 2018 Cockatoo Island has a long association with the RAN. The Island has World Heritage Listing and some additional information can be found on our website at https://navyhistory.au/naval-heritage-sites/cockatoo-island. This ...
Naval Health Services – an Introduction
By CDRE Liz Rushbrook, Director General, Naval Health Service I am pleased to participate in this retrospective glimpse of our Naval Health Service. The Service, like the RAN, came into ...
Book Review: A History of the Naval Chapel, Garden Island
A History of the Naval Chapel, Garden Island Author – Norman C Rivett Reviewed by LCDR Ron Robb, RAN, Rtd. A detailed history of the Naval Chapel on Garden Island ...
Book Review: The Sydney Sailors’ Home – 150 Years of Caring for Seafarers
The Sydney Sailors’ Home-150 Years of Caring for Seafarers By Jan Bowen. Hard cover, 96 pages, 275×210 mm. RRP $45.00 plus $12.00 postage and handling (includes GST). Available through The ...
Book Review: Calls to the Deep
Calls to the Deep – The Story of Naval Communications Station Harold E Holt, Exmouth, Western Australia By Brian Humphreys. Available from Australian Aviation/Phantom Media, PO Box 1777, Fyshwick, ACT, ...
Book Review: Moving Bases
Moving Bases – Royal Navy Maintenance Carriers and MONABS (Mobile Naval Air Bases). By Commander Davis Hobbs, MBE, RN (Rtd). Maritime Books, Lodge Hill, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 4EL This is ...
Book Review: Across the Sea to War
Across the Sea to War. By Peter Plowman. Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd (2003). ISBN 1877058 06 8 Reviewed by Sandy Saunders An interesting publication which describes in great detail the ...
Book Review: The Fragile Forts
Title:The Fragile Forts: The Fixed Defences of Sydney Harbour 1788-1963 Author: Peter Oppenheim, Publisher: Australian Military History Publications, Loftus NSW. The Fragile Forts is a joint venture between the Australian ...
Book Review: We Seemed To Get There
Title: We Seemed to Get There Author: Captain Herbert W. Bolles, MN Ever wondered what the Merchant Navy did, both in War and Peace? This is a truly superb book – an ...
Book Review: The Vung Tau Ferry
THE VUNG TAU FERRY – HMAS SYDNEY and Escort Ships (Vietnam 1965-72) By Rodney Nott and Noel Payne 1998 has certainly been a bumper year for Australian Naval histories concerning the ...
Book Review: Action Stations
Action Stations by Iris Nesdale Action Stations in some ways disappointed me but it must be very difficult to write a book about two ships serving in the same area ...
Book Review: Australian Naval Administration 1900-1939
Author – Robert Hyslop It is fitting that the two most important works on the organisation and administration of the Royal Australian Navy should be written by a Secretary and ...