On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

January 26, 1988

HMAS STUART (River class frigate), led a diamond-shaped Fleet Entry into Sydney Harbour to celebrate the bi-centenary of Australia Day. STUART (the second ship to of this name in the RAN), berthed at the new Fleet Base East wharf, the first ship to do so.

January 25, 1988

The sail training ship, YOUNG ENDEAVOUR, was presented to Australia, and commissioned. The 200 ton brigantine was a Bi-centennial gift from the United Kingdom to Australia, and is operated by the RAN on behalf of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme. The vessel was built by Brooke Yachts, Lowestoft, England, at a cost of $3.9 million.

January 16, 1988

An RAN Hydrographic Party under the command of LCDR. D. Bryce, RAN, departed for Antarctica to carry out surveys and update charts on the approaches to Mawson Base.

January 14, 1988

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Kim Beazley, announced Williamstown Dockyard was to be sold to Australian Marine Engineering Consolidated Ltd., (AMECON).

December 29, 1987

The Australian and New Zealand Defence Ministers agreed to invite design proposals from Blohm & Voss (Germany) and Royal Schelde (Holland) for a guided missile frigate.

December 11, 1987

The Minister for Defence announced Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC, was to be sold to Australian Marine Engineering Corporation for $100 million.

November 22, 1987

The first memorial service for the crew lost when HMAS GOORANGAI was sunk in collision with coaster DUNTROON, on 20 November 1940, was held at a memorial erected on the bluff overlooking the spot where she went down.

October 30, 1987

Principal Chaplain A. W. (Bill) Rosier retired from the RAN after 22 years service. Chaplain Rosier joined the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney as Hospital Chaplain.

October 25, 1987

A plaque to commemorate Canonbury Hospital at Darling Point, Sydney, was unveiled by Sir Kempson Maddox, senior medical officer of the hospital in WWII. Canonbury was commissioned as a naval hospital in 1942, and paid off in 1946, during which period 4,050 Australian, British, United States, French, and Dutch naval patients were treated.

October 14, 1987

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Kim Beazley, announced a $50 million upgrade for the RAN’s Hydrographic Branch, following the introduction of LADS, (Laser Airborne Depth Sounding).

October 11, 1987

VADM Sir Alan McNicoll. KBE, CBE, GM, Commander of the Order of Orange-Nassau, former Australian Ambassador to Turkey, Chief of the Australian Naval Staff, died in Canberra.

October 10, 1987

The Bay class mine hunter inshore HMAS SHOALWATER, (LEUT J. R. Griffith, RAN), was commissioned. SHOALWATER was laid down in Carrington Shipyards, Newcastle, New South Wales, and launched on 20 June 1987. Mrs Hudson, (Wife of the Chief of Naval Staff), performed the launching ceremony. She, and her sister ship HMAS RUSHCUTTER, were a new design using a glass reinforced plastic catamaran hull. While the media gave them the nickname of ‘Plastic Fantastics’, the two ships were plagued with problems with the sonar, and as a result the two saw limited service and were placed in Reserve in 1999.

October 3, 1987

The eight members of the RAN who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, were honoured with a welcome home parade for all Australian Vietnam veterans, through the streets of Sydney.

September 24, 1987

The RAN’s three surviving Bell UH1B Iroquois helicopters flew their farewell flight over Canberra on withdrawal from service.

August 3, 1987

Two crewmen from the Oberon class submarine HMAS OTAMA, (LCDR R. Taubman, RAN), lost their lives, in heavy seas off the east coast of Australia, when OTAMA dived while they were still on the submarines casing. The two men were Able Seaman Hugh Edward Markcrow, and Seaman Damien Humphries. Despite an intensive air and sea search, neither body was ever recovered. A Board of Inquiry into the incident revealed that the two men had gone back onto the casing to secure loose equipment, after having been already checked off as coming inside the submarine’s pressure hull. Their absence was then not noticed for some time.

June 30, 1987

As safety and supportability issues caught up with the ageing Wessex’s, National Task duties were transferred to 817 Squadron and 816 Squadron decommissioned

May 18, 1987

A $3.9 billion contract to build six Kockum Type 471 submarines for the RAN, (later designated Collins class), was awarded by the Australian Government to the Australian Submarine Corporation, Adelaide.

May 16, 1987

HMA Ships ADELAIDE and SYDNEY, (guided missile frigates), were placed on standby to assist with the potential evacuation of Australian nationals from Fiji, following a military coup.

April 5, 1987

An RAN survey team led by LCDR. D. Bryce, RAN, returned from the Australian Antarctic Territory with data which enabled charts held by the Hydrographic Branch to be corrected and updated. The team travelled in the Antarctic supply ship ICE BIRD.

March 4, 1987

HMAS OVENS, (Oberon class submarine), sank the stripped hulk of the navy tank cleaning vessel, ex-HMAS COLAC, off Sydney, with a Mk.48 torpedo.

February 16, 1987

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Kim Beazley, announced the Government plan for a two ocean navy. Half of the RAN would ultimately be based at HMAS STIRLING, WA.

January 6, 1987

RADM Peter Sinclair relieved RADM Ian Knox as RAN Fleet Commander.

December 5, 1986

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, approved the posthumous award of the Australian Bravery Medal to AB. Michael George Oliver, RAN for bravery during a gas alarm in HMAS STALWART, on 22 October, 1985.

December 1, 1986

The Bay class mine hunter HMAS RUSHCUTTER, (LCDR G. Mapson, RAN), was commissioned. RUSHCUTTER was laid down in Carrington Shipyards, Newcastle, NSW, and launched on 3 May 1986. Lady Bennet, (Wife of the Chief of the Defence Force, General Sir Phillip Bennet), performed the launching ceremony.

November 23, 1986

The memorial to HMAS PARRAMATTA, (sloop),which was sunk in 1941, was relocated to the Queens Wharf Reserve in Parramatta. The original memorial had been set up in June 1973 at the Parramatta Bowling Club, but had to be relocated due to the demise of the club.