Garden Island News

Shipbuilder Austal Limited announced that its Austal Australia division has delivered the eighth Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Department of Defense.The vessel, VOEA Ngahau Siliva, was gifted by the Australian Government to the Kingdom of Tonga during a handover ceremony at Austal Australia’s Henderson shipyard on Friday.Austal Chief Operating Officer and CEO Designate Patrick Gregg noted VOEA Ngahau Siliva was the second Guardian-class Patrol Boat delivered…

Australian Pump, an Australian designer and manufacturer of high-pressure cleaning equipment, was chosen to design and build 4,000 psi high pressure water blasters for Sydney’s Garden Island Dockyard. The machines, called the Aussie Atlas, feature an all stainless steel construction and produce a 4,000 psi 16 liter per minute performance. Designed for working on a wide range of vessels in the dry dock, the machines offer fast and efficient cleaning.With up to 30 machines working at any one time in the dock, safety is key.

Australian manufacturer and designer of high pressure cleaning equipment Australian Pump said it was chosen to design and build 4,000 psi high pressure water blasters for Sydney’s Garden Island Dockyard applications.Designed for working on a wide range of vessels in the dry dock, the machines, called the Aussie Atlas, feature an all stainless steel construction and produce a 4,000 psi, 16 liter per minute performance.With up to 30 machines working at any one time in the dock, safety is a key issue.

Naval Ship Management (NSM), an existing joint venture between Babcock and UGL, has been awarded the support and sustainment program for two Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) at the Garden Island Defence Precinct in NSW, following a competitive bidding process.The announcement made today by the Australian Minister for Defence, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, confirmed NSM was selected by the Australian Defence Force to sustain and support two LHDs and twelve LHD Landing Crafts (LLCs) for a period of 15 years.

Twelve former Commanding Officers have sailed onboard Royal Australian Navy frigate, HMAS Darwin, today as she transited through Sydney Heads into her home port for the last time. Darwin was escorted through Sydney Heads by Navy’s newest ship HMAS Hobart for a traditional “cheer ship” as she passed the fleet before being welcomed alongside Garden Island by former sailors, officers and support staff. The Adelaide Class frigate is scheduled to be decommissioned at the end of the year to make way for the Navy’s new fleet of Hobart Class Guided Missile Destroyers. Darwin’s Commanding Officer, Commander Phillip Henry, said the significance of the final passage was not lost on the ship’s company.

HMAS Hobart has “slipped her lines” and set sail for the first time since commissioning on 23 September 2017. Her departure from Fleet Base East, Garden Island, Sydney on Wednesday heralded the much anticipated return to sea for the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) of the Royal Australian Navy. During her journey to and from Jervis Bay on the New South Wales south coast, HMAS Hobart’s ship’s company will perform a series of exercises to test core mariner skills. Commanding Officer, HMAS Hobart, Captain John Stavridis, said the ship’s company were eager to put their skills to the test. “This is really the first key milestone in proving that we can operate the warship safely and effectively,” he said.

Despite being in the thick of action on many occasions, Bathurst class corvette HMAS Colac ended the Second World War with only two members of her ship’s company killed and two wounded, another amazing ship and crew being remembered 75 years on. The casualties occurred on 26 May 1945, when the ship was hit twice by Japanese artillery fire from Choiseul Island, part of the Solomon Islands group. Jim Paizis (retd), 94, of Melbourne, was a gunnery officer in Colac, which had finished a three-week operation bombarding Wewak and off-shore islands with other ships when she was sent to Choiseul Island. “Our task was to assist the Army by shelling Japanese landing barges which were transferring troops to Bougainville, where our Army was operating,” he said.

Work experience opportunities are giving students with an interest Defence careers a chance to get hands-on with Navy life, getting to sea and understanding the roles that might start the passion of a lifetime. For Canberra College Senior Cameron Moncrieff, taking part in the inaugural Defence Work Experience Program - Women in Navy Leadership Camp at HMAS Creswell has paved the way for a career in the Australian Defence Force. Ms Moncrieff, 17, said taking part in last year’s four-day camp on the New South Wales south coast made the Navy a firm career option. “I have always been interested in the Navy, but taking part in the camp really sparked my interest in a career as a Maritime Warfare Officer,” she said.

The Royal Australian Navy’s replenishment capability is operating at capacity once again with HMAS Sirius back in the brine after four months of maintenance at Captain Cook Graving Dock, Garden Island. The fleet tanker cut an impressive figure against the city skyline as she sailed out of Sydney Harbour and into the Pacific Ocean for sea trials recently. She will return to Sydney briefly to take on bulk fuel at Gore Cove before commencing her transit home to Rockingham, Western Australia. It will be the first time a Navy tanker has ‘bunkered’ fuel at Gore Cove since HMAS Westralia did so in 1993. The crew of 73 are looking forward to the upcoming increase in pace. “We are excited about getting Sirius back to sea to do our job”, said Ship’s Warrant Officer Dale Young.

Able Seaman Combat Systems Operator Andrew Dingle is realising his career aspirations onboard HMAS Arunta as part of the Royal Australian Navy team sailing to the Middle East. Able Seaman Dingle deployed recently as part of a 191 member crew bound for Operation MANITOU - Australia’s contribution to counter terrorism, counter piracy, narcotics interdiction which contributes significantly to stability in the region. This is the first time Able Seaman Dingle has left Australia onboard a Navy ship and he said the three year wait had been worth it. “I joined the Navy to do this sort of stuff and I’ve finally got into a position where I’m doing the job I signed up for,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing more of the world and immersing myself in cultures.

Six ships from four navies arrived at Garden Island, Sydney in early November, creating a buzz on the harbour. The visits came ahead of the Royal New Zealand International Naval Review, which will take place in Auckland later this month. Indonesian Navy ship KRI Banda Aceh, a Makassar class landing platform dock was the first to arrive in Sydney. Chilean Navy tall ship Buque Escuela Esmeralda followed a few days later. The sail training ship, which is undertaking her 61st training cruise, was welcomed to Sydney with a 3 inch gun salute from the cannon positioned near the Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre. She was escorted by a fleet of vessels including local tall ships Southern Swan, South Passage and James Craig and a fire tug.

Family and friends joined Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett on the wharf at Garden Island, Sydney to welcome HMAS Darwin home from a successful Middle East deployment. During her Operation MANITOU rotation, Darwin and her Ship’s Company seized a large cache of illicit weapons and narcotics. Vice Admiral Barrett  praised Darwin’s Ship’s Company on their accomplishments. “By removing weapons and drugs from circulation, you made a tangible difference, limiting terrorist organisations’ ability to raise money,” Vice Admiral Barrett said. Commanding Officer Darwin, Commander Phillip Henry said the men and women serving in the guided missile frigate worked hard to accomplish their mission. “Every family here today can be justifiably proud of their loved one.

Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull joined Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN, and friends and family at Garden Island, Sydney, to farewell the 229 Royal Australian Navy personnel onboard HMAS Darwin as the ship sailed for the Middle East region. Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, CSC and Bar, RAN, spoke to the assembled crowd and noted that while most Australians were spending the festive season with their loved ones, Darwin was deploying on an important mission…

Australia has farewelled a Royal Australian Navy ship that has served the country for over three decades in a ceremony today on Sydney Harbour. The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK MC (Retd), together with the Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, and Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN, attended the decommissioning of HMAS Sydney, at her homeport of Garden Island, Sydney. Minister Payne paid tribute to the service of ship’s company past and present. The Australian White Ensign was lowered from the ship for the last time, and handed to Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander David Murphy, RAN, as is the tradition for Navy during decommissioning ceremonies.

HMAS Sydney will be decommissioned after 32 years of service at her homeport of Garden Island, Sydney on November 7, 2015. During the conduct of maritime operations spanning the globe HMAS Sydney, an Adelaide Class Guided Missile Frigate serving with the Royal Australian Navy has steamed 959,627 nautical miles and supported operations in the Middle East, East Timor, Fiji and the Solomon Islands; earning a Meritorious Unit Citation during the First Gulf War in 1991.   More recently Sydney has conducted border protection operations, several major coalition exercises and embeds and her last mission, which concludes this year, is the important Harbour Training Ship role in support of the Fleet Commander’s Flag Order One.

HMAS Newcastle today returned triumphantly to Garden Island, Sydney, after seizing more than $1 billion in heroin in the Middle East region during her six-month Operation MANITOU deployment. The ship’s company of 228 was welcomed back by Commodore Warfare, Commodore Peter Leavy, RAN, along with family and friends. CDRE Leavy said Newcastle intercepted some 1.4 tonnes of heroin, valued at $1.2 billion. “This was a remarkable effort and denied terrorist organisations funding and has taken the Australian Navy’s total seizures in the Middle East over the last two years to an estimated street value of $2.3 billion. Commanding Officer Newcastle, Commander Dominic MacNamara, said his ship’s company had done an exceptional job.

HMAS Tobruk (II) sailed through Sydney Heads back to her home port at Garden Island for the last time today. The amphibious heavy lift is scheduled to decommission on Friday 31 July, after 34 years of service in the Royal Australian Navy. Commanding Officer Tobruk Commander Leif Maxfield said the final passage was an emotional time for the ship’s company of 167. “Today signifies that the end of the ship's seagoing life is near,” CMDR Maxfield said. “The people who have served on Tobruk over the years have performed admirably, responding to the call of duty, whenever tasked by Government to do so. Both current and former ship’s crews have absolutely lived up to the motto of the ship, Faithful and Strong.

After months of preparation, HMAS Success departed Garden Island in Sydney today for a six-month deployment to the Middle East Region to provide logistic support for coalition forces as part of Operation MANITOU. Senator the Hon Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, representing the Minister for Defence, and Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, CSC and Bar, RAN, joined family and friends on the wharf to farewell the ship, which will spend Christmas on operations. Commanding Officer Success, Captain Justin Jones, RAN, said while the auxiliary oiler’s focus will be different to frigates previously deployed on MANITOU, their contribution to global security will be just as important.

The crew responsible for intercepting and destroying billions of dollars worth of narcotics, including the largest seizure of heroin in the history of the Combined Maritime Forces, has returned home. HMAS Darwin and her 232 person crew docked at Garden Island, Sydney today after seven months of successful maritime security operations in the Middle East Region. Hundreds of family and friends of the ship’s company were on the wharf to welcome the warship back to her home-port. Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Stuart Mayer, CSC and Bar, RAN joined Darwin the night prior to arrival and said the ship had made a tangible contribution to global security. “Darwin intercepted and destroyed over $2.1 billion of narcotics during her deployment,” RADM Mayer said.

Wave energy developer Carnegie Wave Energy Limited has provided an update on the recent progress of the Perth Wave Energy Project. Carnegie has made significant progress on the assembly and testing stage of the Perth Wave Energy Project in advance of the project’s final commissioning and operation phase. Noteworthy recent progress includes the completion of the offshore preparations in advance of the deployment of the CETO unit, completion of construction of the onshore plant including installation of all power generation and conditioning equipment on Garden Island, and nearing completion of the testing of the CETO units. Over the past months, Carnegie has been working through a rigorous program of integration testing of the CETO units in advance of offshore installation and commissioning.

After 9 months operating as part of the Royal Australian Navy Fleet, Spanish Armada Ship, 'ESPS Cantabria' was farewelled from her temporary homeport of Garden Island, Sydney. The ship will be visiting ports in Indonesia, India and Turkey before arriving home for Christmas. Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, AO, CSC, RAN joined the Spanish Ambassador to Australia, HE Mr Enrique Viguera, Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Tim Barrett AM, CSC, RAN and Consul-General of Spain, Alvaro Iranzo Gutierrez on the wharf to acknowledge the bonds developed between the nations.

Australia’s first Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ship, NUSHIP Canberra has been farewelled from Melbourne as she departs for Sydney. NUSHIP Canberra departed BAE Systems Williamstown shipyard en route to her Sydney homeport. Defense Materiel Organization (DMO) Chief Executive Officer Warren King said this milestone represents the excellent collaboration between the DMO and BAE Systems Australia, as preparations now begin for NUSHIP Canberra’s handover to the Royal Australian Navy. “The voyage from Melbourne to Sydney will mark a milestone for the DMO by delivering the first ship of this kind to the Royal Australian Navy,” King said. The…

Families, friends and well-wishers joined Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert and Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs AO, CSC, RAN at Garden Island, Sydney to welcome home HMAS Melbourne from a successful Middle East mission. Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert congratulated the 232-strong ship’s company of HMAS Melbourne on her successful deployment, which saw her intercept more than $1 billion in illegal drugs. Commanding Officer HMAS Melbourne…