Stuart Robert News

The Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove, AK, MC (Retd), together with the Assistant Minister for Defence Stuart Robert, MP, and Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, AO, CSC, RAN, today attended the decommissioning of HMAS Tobruk to bid the ship a fond farewell in Sydney. “In a time-honoured tradition, the Australian White Ensign was lowered for the last time and handed to Commanding Officer, Commander Leif Maxfield,” Mr Robert said. Tobruk provided sterling service and contributed to operations in Somalia, East Timor and the Solomon Islands, and conducted extensive work both in Australia and around the South West Pacific. “She has been the workhorse of the Fleet,” Mr Robert said.

Australia's Assistant Minister for Defence, Stuart Robert, has announced that the Canberra headquarters of the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is being named after the late Dr David Warren who developed the ‘black box’ to help in the investigation of aircraft accidents. “Dr Warren was a visionary and his invention has made an extraordinary contribution to aviation safety around the world,” Mr Robert said. Dr Warren invented the black box flight recorder in the mid-1950s when employed at one of DSTO’s predecessor organisations, the Aeronautical Research Laboratory at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. The black box is the most famous invention developed in that laboratory, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

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…