On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

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.

December 1, 1978

HMAS CANBERRA, (guided missile frigate), was launched at Seattle, USA.

October 1, 1978

Female Officers of the WRANS were granted equal pay with their male counterparts.

July 28, 1978

HMAS STIRLING, (shore establishment in Western Australia), commissioned. Located at Garden Island WA,. near the town of Rockingham, the base is often referred to as Fleet Base West.

July 1, 1978

HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), represented Australia at the Solomon Island Independence Day celebrations, at Honiara.

June 21, 1978

HMAS ADELAIDE, (guided missile frigate), was launched at Seattle, USA.

May 8, 1978

RADM G. J. Willis, AO, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Her Majesty’s Australian Fleet.

April 27, 1978

The Oberon class submarine HMAS OTAMA, was commissioned. OTAMA was laid down at Scott’s Yard, Greenock, Scotland, on 28 May 1973, and launched on 3 December 1975. HRH Princess Anne performed the launching ceremony. OTAMA was the last of six Oberon class submarines built for the RAN.

April 21, 1978

CDRE Sir James Ramsay, became the first officer of the RAN to be knighted twice. CDRE Ramsay, a Knight Bachelor and Governor of WA, was created a KCMG.

January 11, 1978

During squadron exercises on 11 January involving HMA Ships Barbette, Barricade and Bombard, an Aztec Piper aircraft on charter to the RAN and assisting with the exercise collided with Bombard’s mainmast and foremast, and crashed into the sea. Both of the aircraft’s civilian crew were killed. The remainder of the exercise was cancelled and Barbette resumed patrol operations on 28 January.

December 16, 1977

HMA Ships BRUNEI, LABUAN, and WEWAK, (landing craft heavy), broke adrift in the Brisbane River during a violent tropical storm. The ships were saved from serious damage, and possible loss, by the ‘exceptional initiative, courage and seamanship’ of CPOMTP(D) W. Lehane and POCOX J. Edwards. Both men were awarded the BEM for their actions.

December 2, 1977

AB R. A. McLeod, RAN, was awarded the Australian Bravery Medal for the rescue of five members of the crew of HMAS ARROW, (patrol boat), which sank in Darwin Harbour during Cyclone Tracy, on Christmas morning, 1974.  AB McLeod was injured himself at the time of the rescues.

October 23, 1977

HMAS Duchess decommissioned, one day after the 25th anniversary of her original Royal Navy commissioning. DUCHESS had been loaned to the RAN in 1964, as a replacement for the destroyer HMAS VOYAGER. This loan was later extended, and she was purchased outright by the RAN in 1972. In 1973 she commenced an 18-month conversion to a training ship, but saw only three years service before being paid off. For a number of years Duchess languished at Bradley’s Dolphins until she was sold on 7 May 1980 and towed from Sydney Harbour on 9 July bound for Taiwan. There she was broken up by the Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corporation

August 27, 1977

HMAS COOK, (oceanographic ship), was launched by Mrs. Joyce Killen, wife of the Minister for Defence, at Williamstown, VIC.

August 25, 1977

HMAS JERVIS BAY, (ex-merchant vessel AUSTRALIAN TRADER), was commissioned as a training ship.