Description
Places and stories along the way
The History of the RAN
Learn the fascinating history of Australia’s Navy, from its beginnings in 1913 with the arrival of its first fleet in Sydney Harbour to its service in WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and a number of other conflicts.
HMAS Waterhen
HMAS Waterhen was commissioned in December 1962. It is located in Waverton on Sydney’s lower north shore, within Sydney Harbour. Waterhen is the Navy’s lead establishment for mine warfare. The base is occupied by many professional sailors and is home to some of the most advanced mine countermeasure equipment and technology.
Cockatoo Island Dockyard
Cockatoo Island Dockyard built over 38 RAN ships and, during WWII, completed 31 major battle damage repairs to warships. In its early years, Cockatoo was a prison and a reformatory for girls, and the Fitzroy Dock took 10 years to build using convict labour. Learn how ships were built and launched, and how the OBERON class submarines were refitted every 5 years. Many cruise ships, including the QUEEN MARY, were converted to troop ships and hospital ships during WWII. Many of Australia’s tradespeople were trained at Cockatoo, with 400 apprentices at its peak, and the dockyard had to master many changes in materials and technology over the decades.
Spectacle Island Armament Depot
Spectacle Island once held 1,000 tons of high explosive RAN ammunition and was central to resupply operations in Sydney. Learn about the ammunition pipeline from the Newington Armoury to Spectacle Island and how it was loaded onto RAN ships. The sandstone buildings were designed by Francis Barnett and are heritage listed. In later years, the island was the repository for Navy heritage items.
Snapper Island
The Sea Cadet Company once based on Snapper Island provided training for young boys and girls, with many joining the RAN.
The Future of the RAN
Learn about changes in technology and the planned changes to the fleet, as well as a recent strategic review, some recent announcements and the way forward.
