On This Day - 6 March
- 1827
- CAPT James Stirling, RN, in HMS SUCCESS, named Garden Island, at the mouth of the Swan River, WA, where Fremantle now stands. Garden Island became HMAS STIRLING, (Fleet Base West), and forms part of Cockburn Sound, named by Stirling after RADM Sir George Cockburn, RN.
- 1915
- VADM Sir H. G. King-Hall, former Flag Officer Commanding Australian Station, commanded the British Squadron blockading the German cruiser KONIGSBERG in the Rufigi River, East Africa.
- 1941
- HMAS STUART, (destroyer), was attacked seven times by German bombers while on passage to Piraeus. In the last attack she was near-missed by a large bomb. CAPT H. Waller wrote: "The last aircraft seemed to be out for my blood and nursed his second bomb until I remained on a steady course. The bombs being so large, however, they could be followed all the way down and the requisite alteration could be made".
- 1942
- HMAS MARYBOROUGH, (minesweeper), signalled the old coal-burning Dutch ship VERSPICK, which had straggled behind the convoy: "Get all those bloody passengers into the stoke hole".
- 1946
- HMAS Poyang decommissioned in Sydney. She was then handed over to the Ministry of War Transport in August before being returned to her owners.
- 1952
- Decommissioned Australian Minesweepers Inverell, Echuca, Kiama and Stawell were handed to the RNZN as a gift.
- 1960
- HMAS QUICKMATCH, (frigate), was dispatched from Darwin to search for survivors from the Indonesian lugger SEMANGAT BARU. The wreck of the vessel was found 400 miles south of Bathurst Island, One survivor was picked up.
- 1964
- HMAS Moresby officially commissioned under the command of Commander John Osborn, RAN, at Garden Island in Sydney
- 1974
- HMAS VENDETTA, (Daring class destroyer), picked up a boat containing survivors from the merchant ship WARAWI, which had foundered in the Arafura Sea.
- 1982
- The Fremantle class patrol boat HMAS LAUNCESTON was commissioned.
'On This Day' is based on the book "Navy Day by Day: Historic Naval Events in Australia and Abroad" written by the late Lew Lind. More information.