On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

On This Day - 1976-1999

May 3, 1985

RADM I. W. Knox was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

April 30, 1985

CDRE John Matthews, RAN, (Retired), was appointed as the Administrator for Norfolk Island.

The ex aircraft carrier, HMAS MELBOURNE, was towed in to Moreton Bay, QLD, when heavy winds and strong seas threatened to break her tow. The ship was bound for China to be broken up.

April 27, 1985

The former aircraft carrier HMAS MELBOURNE, departed Sydney under tow by the Chinese tug DE PING. She was bound for Canton, (Guangzhou), to be broken up. Despite inclement weather, hundreds of former crew members lined the foreshore to see her leave Sydney Harbour for the last time.

April 24, 1985

A civilian workman was killed onboard the ex-HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier), berthed at Garden Island Dockyard, SYDNEY. He fell from the flight deck into the hangar when the aircraft hoist was lowered. He was part of a team preparing MELBOURNE for towing to China for breaking up.

April 23, 1985

The prestigious Royal Geographic Society of Australia’s J. P. Thompson Foundation Gold Medal, was awarded to the survey vessel, HMAS FLINDERS, (LCDR G. J. Bond, RAN), for the survey of, and production of, a new chart for a recently discovery passage through the Great Barrier Reef near Mackay. This passage was named Hydrographers Passage.

April 21, 1985

VADM M. W. Hudson, AC, was appointed Chief of Naval Staff. On his last day of service in 1991, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral.

April 19, 1985

HMAS BETANO was the first landing craft heavy, (LCH), in the RAN, to be assigned to survey duties. Over the next eight years other LCH’s were used as interim survey vessels until the new survey motor launches were commissioned in the early 1990’s. Once this occurred, the LCH’s returned to their amphibious role.

March 4, 1985

The Indonesian Navy patrol boat KRI SIADA, ex HMAS BARBETTE, ran aground on North West Reef off Cape York, QLD. She was later re-floated and towed to Thursday Island for repairs.

March 3, 1985

HMA Ships CESSNOCK and IPSWICH, (patrol boats), each apprehended two Indonesian fishing boats poaching in Australian waters off Melville Island.

March 1, 1985

A permanent and purpose built Maritime Headquarters for the RAN was established at Fleet Base East, Sydney.

February 22, 1985

HMAS BARBETTE, (patrol boat), was transferred to the Indonesian Navy as a gift and renamed KRI SIADI.

February 15, 1985

HMAS Kimbla paid off. During her long career Kimbla steamed 363,038 nautical miles at an average speed of just seven knots. At the time of her decommissioning Kimbla held the distinction of being the longest serving commissioned ship in the RAN and the last to use a reciprocating steam engine as a form of propulsion.

February 12, 1985

The Australian Government announced a $4000 million plan for the replacement of destroyer escorts still in service.

February 11, 1985

HMAS ATTACK, name-ship of the RAN’s Attack class patrol boats, sailed from Sydney streaming a 38.7 metre paying off pennant. The patrol boat was transferred to the Indonesian Navy as a gift.

January 18, 1985

The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Hawke, announced the cancellation of the combined United States, New Zealand and Australian naval exercise, Sea Eagle, following New Zealand’s refusal to provide port facilities to U.S. nuclear armed warships. The action posed a threat to the ANZUS Treaty and Australian naval defence.

January 17, 1985

Divers from Clearance Diving Team 1 raised a Japanese aerial bomb from the seabed under Darwin’s new Fort Hill Road.

January 2, 1985

Chaplain G. Mayne, RAN, was appointed Catholic Military Chaplain of Australia. The equivalent naval rank to this office was Admiral. He later became Bishop Mayne.

January 1, 1985

Position of Director WRANS abolished

December 20, 1984

The RANs last Boom Defence Vessel, HMAS Kimbla, entered harbour for the final time flying a 208ft paying off pennant. The length of the pennant was the ships length plus one ft for every year of service which was 29 years.

December 15, 1984

The Fremantle class patrol boat HMAS BUNBURY, was commissioned. BUNBURY was laid down in Cairns, QLD, and was the last of fifteen Fremantle class patrol boats built for the RAN.

December 13, 1984

The Department of Defence Support, responsible for the management of naval dockyards and new ship building, was abolished.

November 2, 1984

The last of the Australian-built Fremantle class patrol boats, HMAS BUNBURY, was launched at Cairns, QLD.

October 31, 1984

The Australian Government announced that HMA Ships ATTACK, BARBETTE, and BUCCANEER, (patrol boats), would be transferred as a gift to the Indonesian Navy.

October 15, 1984