On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

July 18, 1994

The USS ANTIETAM, (heavy cruiser 9,466 tons), arrived in Australia on a goodwill tour. She was returning from duty in the Persian Gulf.

July 7, 1994

The Department of Defence placed a $23 million contract with AWA Defence Industries, to develop an active missile decoy to protect RAN ships from skimming type missiles.

July 1, 1994

The Department of Defence placed a $58 million contract with Westland Helicopters for the updating of the Navy’s Sea King helicopter fleet, and flight simulator. The updating will extend the life of the aircraft until the year 2008.

June 30, 1994

Visits of units of the RAN to Asian neighbours of Australia doubled in the financial year. Singapore, with 23 visits, was closely followed by Indonesia.

June 18, 1994

Two workmen were killed when acetylene cylinders exploded on the floor of the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island, Sydney. The men were working on the Australian icebreaker AURORA AUSTRALIS.

June 15, 1994

The Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Ray, announced the successful tenderer, for the building of six coastal mine hunter vessels, was Australian Defence Industries. The mine hunters will be similar to the Italian Gaeta class, and cost $1 Billion. Delivery will commence in 1998.

May 23, 1994

Exercise RIMPAC 94 commenced in Hawaiian waters, involving ships from Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. HMA Ships HOBART, SYDNEY, DARWIN, SUCCESS, and OVENS, were involved.

April 18, 1994

The training ship HMAS JERVIS BAY, (ex MV AUSTRALIAN TRADER), decommissioned at Garden Island Sydney. Nicknamed at times JB, the Love Boat, (due to being the first RAN vessel to embark female personnel), and even the Gay Bay, she conducted training for thousands of trainee officers over a 17 year career.

April 11, 1994

The Naval Depot in Brisbane, HMAS MORETON, was decommissioned after over 60 years of service. The base opened in 1933 as HMAS PENGUIN IV; in 1940 it changed to HMAS BRISBANE, and in 1942 to HMAS MORETON. The base occupied the site at New Farm for several years before de-commissioning. For many years the base was the home of the Amphibious Squadron, comprising the landing ship HMAS TOBRUK, and several landing craft heavy, (LCH). Naval support activities were transferred to the new Naval Headquarters, Southern Queensland, located at Bulimba Barracks.

March 21, 1994

HMAS ENCOUNTER, (shore establishment at Port Adelaide), was decommissioned, marking the end of a century of naval presence in the Port Adelaide area.

March 15, 1994

The guided missile frigate HMAS SYDNEY, (CMDR Richard McMillan), rescued the crew of the disabled yacht PACIFIC BREEZE, some 285 miles southeast of Jervis Bay.

March 10, 1994

VADM R.G. Taylor, AO, RAN, was appointed as Chief of Naval Staff.

February 25, 1994

HMAS NIRIMBA, the RAN’s Apprentice Training School at Quaker’s Hill, west of Sydney, was decommissioned.

February 4, 1994

HMAS OTWAY, (Oberon class submarine), was decommissioned at Sydney.

January 5, 1994

The RAN School of Survivability and Ship Safety (RANSSSS) was transferred from HMAS PENGUIN to HMAS CRESSWELL.

December 11, 1993

The FFG-7, (Adelaide), class guided missile frigate, HMAS NEWCASTLE, was commissioned at Newcastle, NSW.

NEWCASTLE was laid down in AMECON Williamstown Dockyard, VIC, and launched on 21 February 1992. Mrs M. McNaughton, (Lady Mayoress of Newcastle), performed the launching ceremony.

December 8, 1993

Clearance Divers from HMA Ships PERTH and CANBERRA, (guided missile frigates), assisted the Royal Malaysian Police in the search and recovery of the body of a crewman from the cruise ship LEISUREWORLD, who had fallen overboard off Langkawi Island.

December 7, 1993

RADM D. B. Chalmers, AO, RAN, was appointed as Maritime Commander Australia. The position had previously been known as Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Fleet.

November 24, 1993

HMA Ships PERTH, (guided missile destroyer), CANBERRA, (guided missile frigate), and ORION, (submarine),) were on passage to the northern Malacca Strait, to take part in the ASW Exercise SHAREM 94-1with US Ships HEWITT, THACH and the submarine TUNNY.

November 22, 1993

Exercise Dugong was held off Townsville, QLD, to test the RAN’s Mines Counter Measures, Clearance Diving Teams and Ordnance Disposal techniques.

November 20, 1993

HMAS MORESBY, (survey vessel), was engaged in the final stages of her survey in the Arnhem Land area.

November 12, 1993

HMAS SYDNEY, (guided missile frigate), completed her second tour of duty, and departed the Damask Operations Area for Australia.

October 17, 1993

Operation Lagoon ceases, and HMA Ships TOBRUK, (landing ship heavy), and SUCCESS, (auxiliary oiler replenishment), depart from Bougainville and return to Australia. The peace conference that they had been supporting had failed to reach a successful conclusion, and after the departure of the SPPKF, the fighting between the PNG Defence Force and the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA) re-commenced.

October 10, 1993

A Sea King helicopter from HMAS TOBRUK, (landing ship heavy), was shot at, and sustained two hits by small arms fire in the tail, while conducting a routine reconnaissance flight near Kieta, Bougainville, as part of Operation Lagoon. The aircrew suspected that PNG Defence Force soldiers were responsible for the shooting.

October 9, 1993

HMAS TOBRUK, (landing ship heavy), arrives at Arawa Bay, Bougainville. After the wharf and adjacent seabed at Loloho had been cleared by a clearance diving team, TOBRUK berthed, and commenced to unload troops and equipment required for Operation Lagoon.