On This Day
1976-1999 > Post Vietnam
On This Day - 1976-1999
- September 3, 1989
VADM Sir John Collins, KBE, CB, RAN, (Retired), died in Sydney. His naval career stretched from 1913 to 1955, and he was the first RANC graduate to reach the position of Chief of Navy. He also served as the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand, from 1956 to 1963. In 1988 he had been named in the Bicentennial List of 200 Great Australians.
- August 19, 1989
A multi-million dollar contract for the building of ten Anzac class frigates was awarded to Australian Marine Engineering Consolidated Ltd., of Melbourne. The new ships, eight for the RAN and two for the RNZN, are to be delivered progressively from 1995 to 2005.
- July 27, 1989
A Wessex helicopter crashed on the flight deck of HMAS SUCCESS, (CAPT G. V. Sloper, RAN), while the tanker was on passage to Darwin. No personnel were injured, but the aircraft was subsequently written off due to damage.
- June 23, 1989
CDRE M. Taylor, RAN, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station, HMAS ALBATROSS, Nowra, NSW, and LEUT K. Champion, flew the RAN’s last UH 1B Iroquois helicopter flight.
- June 5, 1989
The Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Hawke, cancelled the goodwill visit of HMAS PARRAMATTA to Shanghai, as a protest against the Tiananmin Square massacre.
- May 31, 1989
After 25 years of service the RAN’s Iroquois were decommissioned
- May 5, 1989
HMAS MELBOURNE III was launched by Mrs Hazel Hawke, the wife of the Australian Prime Minister.
- April 14, 1989
The Governor General and Commander in Chief, the Honourable Bill Hayden, AC, presented the new Queen’s Colour to the Australian Fleet at the Fleet Base, Sydney.
- April 1, 1989
HMAS Whyalla II grounded off Hamilton Island prior to the start of the island’s annual yacht racing carnival, necessitating a two week stay in dockyard hands to repair both propellers.
- February 27, 1989
The survey motor launch HMAS PALUMA, was commissioned.
- February 3, 1989
The Premier of WA, Mr. Peter Dowding, officially opened the ship-lift facility at Jervoise Bay. This site became the RAN’s repair base in the west.
- February 1, 1989
The Lee Enfield .303 rifle completed a century of service. It was last used in the RAN on an official occasion at the Anzac Day Ceremony in Canberra in 1985.
- January 20, 1989
Mr. Kim Beazley, Minister for Defence, announced the basing of patrol boats at a forward base at Port Hedland, WA. This never actually occurred and within ten years all patrol boats were permanently in Darwin or Cairns.
- January 3, 1989
The RAN won the Australian Tasar Sailing Championship held at Port Stephens.
- December 1, 1988
Three RAN cooks were part of the Australian Defence Force, (ADF), team to compete in the Culinary Olympics held in Frankfurt, West Germany. They were:
- PO Cook Murray McAuliffe,
- PO Cook Tom Clarke, and
- LS Cook Bill Matthews.
The ADF team won several medals in this competition.
- November 21, 1988
Principal Anglican Naval Chaplain John Jones, retired after 22 years service in the RAN, to become Rector of Sydney’s historic St. Philip’s Church.
- November 8, 1988
RAN Spokesman, CDRE Tim Cox, denied a naval vessel had been involved in the running down and sinking of the 50 ton steel yacht PATANELA. The only naval unit to pass through Sydney Heads was HMAS OTWAY, (submarine), seven hours after the yacht was reported missing.
- November 3, 1988
The $4.4 million Shark Point degaussing range at Sydney was officially accepted by the RAN.
- October 3, 1988
HRH, the Duke of Edinburgh, unveiled the HMAS PARRAMATTA Memorial at the northern extremity of Garden Island, Sydney.
- October 1, 1988
The International Bicentennial Fleet, with over 50 warships from 16 nations moored in Sydney Harbour, was reviewed by the Duke and Duchess of York, embarked in HMAS COOK, (oceanographic research vessel). An estimated 2 million people witnessed the historic review.
- September 27, 1988
HMS ARK ROYAL, (aircraft carrier), arrived at Sydney to participate in the Bicentennial Celebrations.
- September 26, 1988
One of the largest fleets to operate in Australian waters, more than thirty warships, led by the USS New Jersey, (battleship), made a ceremonial entry into Sydney Harbour.
- September 23, 1988
The first National Submarine Reunion was held at HMAS PLATYPUS, (submarine base), Sydney
- September 21, 1988
The Australian Submarine Museum was opened at HMAS PLATYPUS, (submarine base),in Sydney.
- July 22, 1988
RADM Peter Sinclair directed the Combined Exercise Agreement Force of RIMPAC 88, from Pearl Harbour. The force was composed of 45 ships, 200 aircraft and 50,000 sailors, airmen and marines.
