On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

March 28, 1990

HMAS WESTRALIA, (oil replenishment ship), conducted her first dual replenishment at sea, with HMA Ships TOBRUK, (landing ship heavy), and SYDNEY, (guided missile destroyer).

March 20, 1990

The fourth and last survey motor launch built for the RAN, HMAS BENALLA, was commissioned at Adelaide. Her sister- ships are HMAS PALUMA, MERMAID, and SHEPPARTON.

March 9, 1990

The first RAN Seahawk helicopter landing on a guided missile frigate was made on HMAS ADELAIDE, in Sydney Harbour.

HMAS STALWART, (destroyer tender), was decommissioned after 22 years service. She was later sold to a Greek shipping company for conversion to a passenger ferry, and renamed HER MAJESTY M. In 1999 she was renamed TARA II.

March 7, 1990

A RAN Seahawk helicopter rescued a 14 year old boy from rocks at Currawong NSW.

February 14, 1990

The Minister for Defence, Mr. Kim Beazley, announced at the keel laying ceremony for HMAS COLLINS that five more Type 471 submarines were to be built for the RAN. They would be named FARNCOMB, WALLER, DECHAINEAUX, SHEEAN, and RANKIN.

February 9, 1990

The Navy tug MOLLYMAWK capsized after colliding with HMAS TOBRUK in the Fleet Base at Sydney.

January 24, 1990

The survey motor launch, HMAS SHEPPARTON, was commissioned at Port Adelaide SA. The Commissioning Officer was LCDR Allan Dennison.

January 15, 1990

HMAS JERVIS BAY, (training ship), was placed on alert to evacuate Australian nationals from Bougainville in the wake of unrest between the local population and the PNG Government.

January 9, 1990

The Governor General approved the award of the Australian Service Medal to RAN personnel who served with the Multinational Force as observers in the Sinai from 9 February, 1982 to 29 April, 1986.

December 31, 1989

After 27 years of service the RAN’s Wessex were decommissioned

December 4, 1989

The survey motor launch HMAS MERMAID, was commissioned.

November 30, 1989

With the ending of the 3 month airline pilots strike, RAN HS 748 aircraft from HMAS ALBATROSS, (air base Nowra, NSW), and their pilots, were returned to normal duties. The aircraft were used during the state of emergency to assist the airlines in maintaining services.

November 9, 1989

A Torres Strait reserve unit of the RAN was established to provide a resident naval presence in far northern Australian waters. The former Federal Police launch, the 34 foot ARGUS, was purchased for the unit’s use.

November 1, 1989

DISCON, the first totally secure communication system, was inaugurated in Australian Defence Forces.

October 30, 1989

Westland Wessex Mk.31A N7-218, 828 ditched 180 Nautical miles NW of Surabaja from HMAS Stalwart in South China Sea. LEUT(P) Lister, RAN and crew recovered by HMAS Stalwart. The wreck was later seen at the Bomb Dump, Nowra in 1997 an was later destroyed at RANAS Nowra fireground

October 9, 1989

The auxiliary oiler replenishment HMAS WESTRALIA was commissioned. WESTRALIA was the former HMS APPLELEAF, (royal fleet auxiliary), which had been commissioned into the RN in 1979.

October 4, 1989

The first Sikorsky Seahawk helicopter was accepted for service in the RAN.

September 23, 1989

HMAS SUCCESS, (auxiliary oiler replenishment), and HMAS SYDNEY, (guided missile frigate), recovered 14 bodies from the sea, near the island of Palawan, while conducting a transit of the South China Sea from Subic Bay, (the Philippines), to Singapore. The decomposing bodies were mainly of Indo-Chinese ethnicity, but one body appeared to be that of a Caucasian with English language tattoos on his arms. When found, the bodies had been in the water for about a week, and none had any valuables or identification on them; which suggested they may have been attacked and robbed by pirates. When it became apparent that the dead could not be identified, and landing the bodies for burial in Singapore was not possible, it was decided to bury the 14 at sea in weighted-down shrouds.

September 3, 1989

VADM Sir John Collins, KBE, CB, RAN, (Retired), died in Sydney. His naval career stretched from 1913 to 1955, and he was the first RANC graduate to reach the position of Chief of Navy. He also served as the Australian High Commissioner to New Zealand, from 1956 to 1963. In 1988 he had been named in the Bicentennial List of 200 Great Australians.

August 19, 1989

A multi-million dollar contract for the building of ten Anzac class frigates was awarded to Australian Marine Engineering Consolidated Ltd., of Melbourne. The new ships, eight for the RAN and two for the RNZN, are to be delivered progressively from 1995 to 2005.

July 27, 1989

A Wessex helicopter crashed on the flight deck of HMAS SUCCESS, (CAPT G. V. Sloper, RAN), while the tanker was on passage to Darwin. No personnel were injured, but the aircraft was subsequently written off due to damage.

June 23, 1989

CDRE M. Taylor, RAN, Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station, HMAS ALBATROSS, Nowra, NSW, and LEUT K. Champion, flew the RAN’s last UH 1B Iroquois helicopter flight.

June 5, 1989

The Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Hawke, cancelled the goodwill visit of HMAS PARRAMATTA to Shanghai, as a protest against the Tiananmin Square massacre.

May 31, 1989

After 25 years of service the RAN’s Iroquois were decommissioned

May 5, 1989

HMAS MELBOURNE III was launched by Mrs Hazel Hawke, the wife of the Australian Prime Minister.