On This Day - 31 December
- 1892
- HMS WOLVERINE, training ship of the NSW Naval Brigade, was sold out of service.
- 1907
- VADM Sir Richard Poore, Bt, KCB, CVO, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS POWERFUL.
- 1910
- VADM Sir George F. King-Hall, KCB, CVO, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australia Station. His flagships were HM Ships POWERFUL, DRAKE, and CAMBRIAN.
- 1914
- The Australian submarine AE2 departed Albany, WA, under tow from the transport BERRIMA, for the Mediterranean. The Australian Naval Board offered the submarine to the RN after the loss of AE1.
- 1937
- The fisheries patrol vessel, LARRAKIA, later HMAS LARRAKIA, fired over 1000 rounds warning Japanese fishing vessels they were poaching in North Australian waters.
- 1938
- LCDR. R. B. M. Long, Director of Naval Intelligence, reported 34 clandestine landings on Australian territory by Japanese agents in the year. A Japanese trawler, fitted with sophisticated radio and weapon detection equipment was also seized.
- 1939
- CMDR S. H. K. Spurgeon, RAN, was awarded the DSO for conspicuous service in anti-submarine operations while commanding HMS ECHO, (destroyer), in the North Sea. CMDR Spurgeon was the first Australian decorated for gallantry in WWII.
- 1941
- HMA Ships NAPIER, NIZAM, and NESTOR, (destroyers), joined HM Ships AJAX, KINGSTON, ARROW, and GURKHA in the bombardment of German defence posts on the outskirts of Bardia.
- 1945
- Four GCs, nine GMs and three Bars to the GM were awarded to RANR personnel serving in the Rendering Mines Safe Section of the RN during WWII.
- 1974
- HMA Ships BRISBANE and FLINDERS were the first ships to arrive in Darwin, to commence work as part of Operation Navy Help, the cleanup and rebuilding of Darwin following the devastating effects of Cyclone Tracy. FLINDERS surveyed the entrance to Darwin Harbour to ensure the safe passage of the RAN Task Group, and BRISBANE landed work parties to commence the massive job of cleaning up the devastated city.
- 1989
- After 27 years of service the RAN's Wessex were decommissioned
- 2004
- HMAS Kanimbla II sailed from Sydney for Indonesia via Darwin for Operation SUMATRA ASSIST in the wake of the Boxing Day Tsunami.
'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.