On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

October 12, 1982

The crew of HMAS TORRENS, (Type 12 frigate), ‘spliced the mainbrace’ to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on completion of TORRENS tour of duty as escort to HMS BRITANNIA, (The Royal Yacht).

October 8, 1982

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Ian Sinclair, announced a contract had been placed with Carrington Slipways Pty. Ltd. of Newcastle, NSW, to build two Australian designed catamaran minesweepers.

October 7, 1982

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, officially opened the RAN’s Darwin Naval Base.

October 6, 1982

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II opened the RAN base in Darwin, NT.

September 25, 1982

HMAS IPSWICH, (Fremantle class patrol boat), was launched at Cairns, QLD

August 22, 1982

The United Kingdom Government was advised that no further action would be taken on the potential purchase, for the RAN, of HMS INVINCIBLE, (aircraft carrier).

August 20, 1982

The Australian Government ordered 18 French built Squirrel, (Ecureuil), helicopters, at a total cost of $24 million. Twelve were allocated to the RAAF, and six to the RAN.

August 14, 1982

HMAS Barbette temporarily changed her pennant number from 97 to 83 for her role as the fictional RAN patrol boat, HMAS Ambush, in the second series of the popular ABC television series, Patrol Boat.

July 16, 1982

The Gunnery School at HMAS CERBERUS was closed.

July 3, 1982

HMAS BANKS, (survey ship small), was attached to HMAS CRESWELL as a training tender.

HMAS WHYALLA, (Fremantle class patrol boat), was commissioned.

July 2, 1982

805 Squadron, flying Skyhawks, and 816 squadron, flying S2 Trackers, decommissioned at NAS Nowra

June 30, 1982

HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier),paid off at Sydney for disposal. The ship was initially sold in June 1984 to an Australian company for A$1.7 million, however the sale fell through. In February 1985 the former Flagship was sold to the China United Shipbuilding Co Ltd for A$1.4 million to be broken up for scrap metal in the port of Dalian, China

June 4, 1982

HMAS STUART, (destroyer escort), was damaged in a fire at Williamstown Dockyard, VIC.

April 26, 1982

RAN personnel joined the Multi-National Force and Observers, (MFO), operating on the Sinai Peninsula, to enforce the separation of Egyptian and Israeli forces. The RAN provided Iroquious helicopters, (which had been transported to the Middle East by HMAS TOBRUK), to patrol the peninsula. The RAN presence ceased in 1986, but a small Army detachment remained.

April 21, 1982

VADM D. W. Leach, AC, CBE, LVO, RAN, is appointed Chief of Naval Staff. He had joined the RAN College in 1942 as a Cadet Midshipman, and was the last CNS to have seen service in World War II.

April 10, 1982

Workers at the Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle left a bottle of 6 year old MacNaughton Canadian Whiskey wrapped in pipe insulation in the forward starboard leg of the main mast of HMAS Sydney IV while she was under construction. It remained undetected throughout the ship’s service in the Royal Australian Navy with Sydney IV being decommissioned in November 2015. In 2017 a former work at the Todd Shipyard alerted staff at the Birdon Company in Henderson who located the, now 41 year old, Whiskey while they were scrapping the ship.

March 29, 1982

HMAS CANBERRA, (guided missile frigate), and P&O’s cruise liner, CANBERRA, rendezvoused off San Diego, USA.

March 16, 1982

RADM M. W. Hudson, RAN, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Fleet.

March 6, 1982

The Fremantle class patrol boat HMAS LAUNCESTON was commissioned.

March 4, 1982

HMAS TOBRUK, (landing ship heavy), transported 10 Iroquios helicopters to the Middle East as part of a multi-national force of observers enforcing the cease-fire agreement between Egypt and Israel. RAN aircrew and maintainers operated the helicopters, which were based in El Gorah, in Northern Sinai. They were withdrawn in 1986.

March 1, 1982

HMAS LAUNCESTON, (Fremantle Class Patrol Boat), was commissioned.

February 25, 1982

The Australian Government announced it intended to purchase the aircraft carrier HMS INVINCIBLE as a replacement for HMAS MELBOURNE. The carrier was to be renamed HMAS AUSTRALIA. However, as a result of the Falklands War between Britain and Argentina the purchase was delayed. When negotiations were later recommenced the Government in Australia had changed and made a decision to cancel the purchase.

February 8, 1982

Britain’s First Sea Lord, ADML Sir Henry Leach, made a four day official visit to Australia and conferred with cabinet on the possible purchase of HMS INVINCIBLE as a replacement for HMAS MELBOURNE, (aircraft carrier).

January 25, 1982

HMAS SYDNEY, (guided missile frigate), was severely damaged in a $4 million fire while fitting out at Seattle, USA.

December 14, 1981

Cadet AB Kenneth Dax died onboard HMAS TOBRUK, (landing ship heavy), from a hydrogen-sulphide gas leak from the ships sewage tank.