On This Day

1976-1999 > Post Vietnam

April 25, 1990

Three RAN vessels, (HMA Ships SYDNEY, TOBRUK and OXLEY), represented the RAN at the 75th Anniversary of the landing at Gallipoli. SYDNEY was chosen as her namesake had escorted the first convoy of ANZAC’s across the Indian Ocean in 1914, and she had destroyed the German raider EMDEN en-route. TOBRUK was chosen to represent the amphibious nature of the campaign, and OXLEY was chosen to commemorate the heroic actions of the Australian submarine AE2 in 1915.

April 24, 1990

RAN Sea King helicopters participated in the rescue of women and children cut off by rising flood waters at Nyngan, N.S.W.

April 11, 1990

HMAS Gladstone, a Cairns-based patrol boat, pursued and apprehended a Taiwanese fishing trawler off the North Australian coast. The vessel was poaching in Australian waters.

April 6, 1990

The Chief of Naval Staff, VADM M. W. Hudson, announced ‘women will be permitted to serve in peacetime in all ships except submarines.’

April 2, 1990

HMAS BUNBURY, (patrol boat), rescued 118 Indo-Chinese boat people off Koolan Island, on the Kimberley coast of WA.

March 31, 1990

The total trained manpower of the RAN was 13,729, made up of 2,234 officers and 11,495 sailors.

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 29, 1990

HMAS Parramatta III sailed from Sydney for her 3rd deployment to South-East Asia in ten months.

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.