On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

May 6, 1980

The first female officers of the RAN to serve at sea, embarked in the training ship HMAS JERVIS BAY.

April 15, 1980

The Minister for Defence, Mr. D. J. Killen, announced the expenditure of $1,065 million for the building of four guided missile frigates and support equipment.

March 25, 1980

The Minister for Defence, Mr. D. J. Killen, announced Government plans to increase the RAN’s strength in ships, weapons and establishments.

March 17, 1980

• The patrol boat HMAS FREMANTLE, (LEUT R. Thomas, RAN), the lead ship of the Fremantle class patrol boats was commissioned at Lowestoft, England.
• A publicity hoax claiming the discovery of a missing Japanese midget submarine in Port Jackson brought complaints from Australian and Japanese authorities.

March 13, 1980

AB J. Stewart was lost overboard from HMAS BRISBANE, (guided missile destroyer), 120 miles north-west of Honolulu before midnight on 12/3/1980, and was picked up 12 hours later by USS JOSEPH STRAUSS. AB Stewart stayed afloat by inflating a discarded plastic garbage bag. A large shark swam around him for the last two hours of his ordeal.

March 1, 1980

HMAS TOBRUK, (amphibious heavy lift ship), was launched at Newcastle, NSW.

February 29, 1980

HMAS DIAMANTINA, (oceanographic research ship), and the last World War II ship in commission in the RAN, was paid off for disposal at Garden Island, Sydney. She had steamed 615,755 miles since first commissioning. She left Garden Island on 1 October 1980aftewr being donated to the Queensland Maritime Museum Association. Diamantina is now on permanent display in Brisbane and restored to her World War II outfit of weapons.

February 19, 1980

The Australian Prime Minister, Mr. M. Fraser, announced plans for increasing the size of the RAN.

January 16, 1980

The keel for HMAS SYDNEY, the third guided missile frigate ordered from the USA, was laid at Seattle, USA.

January 8, 1980

A contingent of nine RAN officers sailed in the Antarctic relief ship NANOK S for a 40-day deployment in Australia’s Antarctic bases of Casey and Mawson.

December 18, 1979

Iroquois helicopters from No. 723 Squadron, and 150 personnel from RAN ships and establishments fought disastrous bushfires in the Sydney metropolitan area.

November 1, 1979

The Australian 200 nautical mile fishing zone was proclaimed, greatly increasing the surveillance role of the RAN.

October 9, 1979

HMAS Vendetta was decommissioned. In her 21 year career, she had steamed 670952 nautical miles. She subsequently served as a source of spare parts for Vampire (II), the last Australian Daring Class Destroyer. Following her decommissioning, Vendetta languished in the ‘mothball’ fleet at Sydney until 1986, when she was sold to Ming Hsieh Steel Mill on behalf of Hodland Enterprises of Taiwan. The ship departed under tow in late 1986, bound for the breaker’s yard in Taiwan

August 31, 1979

CPO Jackson, of HMAS KIMBLA, (survey vessel), was washed overboard and drowned in heavy seas, while the ship was leaving Port Philip Bay, VIC. His body was never recovered.

August 23, 1979

The Minister for Defence, Mr. D. J. Killen, announced the building of an underway replenishment ship for the RAN at Cockatoo Island. The ship was named HMAS SUCCESS.

August 20, 1979

Trials of the Australian-designed and developed Mulloka Submarine Sonar System were completed in HMAS YARRA.

August 17, 1979

The Australian designed and manufactured Mulloka Sonar System, was accepted for service in the RAN

July 1, 1979

The WRAN officer rank titles were replaced with male officer rank titles. The Navy began training its WRAN officer cadets at RAN College at Jervis Bay with their male counterparts. (*Actual day of month unknown)

May 4, 1979

RAN Clearance Divers blasted a new harbour and shipping channel out of a coral reef at Noro, Solomon Islands. This was done to allow local fishermen better access to the sea.

May 1, 1979

The initial engagement period for General Entry Sailors was reduced from nine to six years.

April 21, 1979

VADM Sir James Willis, KBE, AO, RAN, is appointed Chief of Naval Staff.

April 12, 1979

RADM D. Leach, CBE, MVO, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

March 9, 1979

The Minister for Defence, Mr. D. J. Killen, officially opened the new guided missile frigate berth at Garden Island, Sydney.

January 15, 1979

The RAN Staff College was officially opened at HMAS PENGUIN, Sydney, under the command of CAPT N. Ralph, AM, DSC, RAN. Prior to this all RAN officers undergoing staff training had undertaken the RN course in the United Kingdom, or other overseas courses. When the college was closed in 2000, (following creation of the Tri-Service Australian Command and Staff College in Canberra), it had trained over 1000 officers for staff duties, (including Army and RAAF officers, as well as 162 foreign students).

January 5, 1979

HMAS HOBART, (guided missile destroyer), was dispatched on a 3000 nautical mile mercy dash to Heard Island to evacuate a seriously ill biologist.