Plans to repatriate the former Royal Navy Type 21 frigate HMS Ambuscade to the United Kingdom from Pakistan are continuing to move forward. The vessel, which was sold to Pakistan ...
Publications
70 YEARS AGO HMAS QUEENBOROUGH’s 1955 TRAINING CRUISE
HMAS Queenborough sailed from Sydney for the United Kingdom on 24 February 1955. Her task, to gain experience in the latest methods of anti-submarine warfare and to evaluate the capabilities ...
ADV Stoker – bow to stern
Fremantle Port has now be staging an annual Maritime Day for many years. Last November the major on-water attraction was the Royal Australian Navy’s submarine rescue gear ship, ADV Stoker. ...
Celebrating 80-years of service; The Captain Cook Graving Dock Sydney
In March 2025 the RAN and Garden Island celebrate the 80th anniversary of the famous Captain Cook Graving Dock. This immense piece of ‘naval hardware’ has always been the most ...
QUITE a SIGHT – 101 years later : Melburnians come out in force
The city of Melbourne, then the nation’s capital, hosted the fleet, the Special Service Squadron, from 17 – 25 March 1924. The world’s largest and fastest capital ship, the one-of-a-kind ...
Occasional Paper 191: Aviation in the Royal Australian Navy, the first 65 Years, 1917 to 1982
The following story is based on a Royal Australian Navy News story first published on Friday 23 April 1982, page 4. Australian Naval aviation this month celebrated the 65th anniversary ...
Occasional Paper 190: Captain Cook Graving Dock 80th Anniversary: Engineering and Art
By Lorraine Fildes and Colin Randall This paper was compiled to mark the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour ...
History of Australian Defence Landing Craft and the Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) 1971 – 2014
This Historical Booklet (Monograph 200) by Bjarne Kristensen was published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia in December 2024. This paper discusses the history of Australian Defence Amphibious vessels ...
Book Review : Cyclone Warriors – the Armed Forces and Cyclone Tracy December 1974-June 1975
Cyclone Warriors – the Armed Forces and Cyclone Tracy December 1974-June 1975. This paperback edition of 128 pages by Dr Tom Lewis is fully illustrated in colour. Published by Avonmore ...
The Sydney International Exhibition and a French Guest
By Walter Burroughs After the gold rushes of the 1850s the Australian colonies had prospered and the population had dramatically increased, with a corresponding building boom. New streetscapes appeared in ...
The Thames Nautical Training College HMS Worcester (1862-1968)
By Ray Atkinson In the latter part of those long-gone times when Britain and its colonies ruled the waves, prospective ships’ officers were trained at a number of pre-sea training ...
Kongsberg Missile Systems
The following has been largely compiled from available media sources. Norway is a mountainous country in distant northern Europe, dominated by picturesque fjords with ready access to the sea. For ...
Coast Watchers Light
A beacon to mariner and pilot alike, the lighthouse at Madang Harbour is a unique memorial to 36 gallant men. By Walter Brooksbank We have previously met LCDR Walter Hugh ...
City of Adelaide – HMS Carrick The World’s oldest Clipper Ship
By Peter Christopher Fast clipper ships with fine lines and handsome appearance, such as the Cutty Sark, have pride of place in famous museums. Well on her way to restoration, ...
Golden Lace and Silken Ribbons
A recent article found on the UK Forces Net asks the question: Is the braid used on Royal Navy officers’ uniforms really made of precious metal? This article tells us ...
The World’s First Autonomous Vessel
In terms of Autonomous Vehicles, thoughts turn to new initiatives stemming from recent technology which significantly reduces manpower requirements and in the case of the armed forces also reduces potential ...
The Fastnet 1979 Yacht Race Disaster: Would It Have Occurred Today?
Cdr Mike Channon RN This article first appeared in the Royal Navy Instructor Officers’ Association magazine RNIOA No 24 dated 22 November 2023 and is reproduced by kind permission of ...
The Loss of HMS Manchester and the Dilemma of Command
By Walter Burroughs Visitors to London flock to see an ancient Tower safekeeping the Crown Jewels; close by is the famous Tower Bridge and just beyond, moored safely in the ...
Offshore Support Vessels and the Loss of HMNZS Manawanui
Over recent times, second-hand general-purpose offshore support vessels emanating from the North Sea oil industry have become workhorses used by the Australian and New Zealand navies and associated services. In ...
Australian Submarines in the Cold War — A force Multiplier in the West
This Historical Booklet (Monograph 199) by Dr Tom Lewis was published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia in September 2024. This paper discusses the role of the Royal Australian ...
Graeme Keith Andrews OAM: 1938–2024 A life dedicated to maritime heritage
Graeme Andrews developed a passion for the sea early in life and became one of the country’s foremost authorities on maritime heritage. Through his writing, research, and involvement in preserving ...
Occasional Paper 188: Highlights of RAN History: Two Busy Decades 1950 to 1970
The following is adapted from the Royal Australian Navy News, 17 April 1970 edition, page 4. 1950 to 1960 From1950 onwards the post-war tempo Naval growth quickened. The outbreak of ...
Book Review: Admiral VAT Smith: The extraordinary life of the father of Australia’s Fleet Air Arm
Hardback by Graeme Lunn, fully illustrated with colour plates, published by Avonmore Books, 2024. RRP $49.95. While few of Australia’s naval leaders have attracted full biographies, Admiral Sir Victor Alfred ...
Sandakan: From Hell to Eternity
The December 2023 edition of this magazine contained an article titled Newcastle Reminiscences, compiled from the recollections of 97-year-old Mrs Thelma Tame. Her uncle was the late Major William Sticpewich ...
A Non-Combatant at War: Palestine, Greece and Crete 1941 – Pt III
Dr. Richmond Jeremy OBE MB ChM FRCP FRACP 1899 – 1995 Parts I and II of this series are contained in the March and June 2024 editions of this magazine. ...