HMAS Cairns
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| Commanding Officer | Commander Bob Heffey |
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Welcome to HMAS Cairns, Draper Street Cairns, Far North Queensland.
With a responsibility extending from Rockhampton to Thursday Island, HMAS Cairns has 900 Navy and civilian personnel and is the homeport for 14 Naval Vessels.
- Base Command Element
- Fleet Logistic Support Element - Cairns
- Fleet Intermediate Maintenance Activity - Cairns
- Laser Airborne Depth Sounding Flight
- Naval Communications Area Local Station - Cairns
- Patrol Boat Systems Program Office
- Amphibious Afloat Systems Program Office
- Hydrographic Systems Program Office
- Sea Training Minor War Vessels
HMAS Cairns primary responsibility is to provide maintenance, logistical and administrative support for Cairns based fleet units. HMAS Cairns also provides refit and training support for neighbouring Pacific Island nations (Pacific Class Patrol Boats).
Cairns Based Fleet Units
Cairns based Armidale Class Patrol Boats (ACPB)
14 New Armidale class Patrol Boats are starting to enter service to replace the Fremantle class Patrol Boats. HMAS Bundaberg will be the first of 4 to be based in Cairns while the remaining 10 (including 2 vessels detached in Dampier W.A) will be based at Darwin NT.
- Bundaberg 91
- Wollongong 92
- Childers 93
- Launceston 94
Amphibious Support
Navy has 6 Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy's (LCH), 4 of which are based at HMAS Cairns, namely
The LCH is an extremely important vessel, capable of moving large amounts of cargo, vehicles, personnel, equipment and aid from either larger military or civilian transport ships to shore. With it's very shallow draft this allows personnel and equipment to be transferred or delivered through very shallow areas that would otherwise be unreachable by other large vessels.
Navy Hydrographic Survey
The Navy has 2 Hydrographic Survey Ships (HS), 4 Survey Motor Launches (SML) and the Australian developed Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS) mounted inside a Fokker F27 Aircraft.
Hydrographic Systems Operator sailors (HSO's) are employed onboard the Hydrographic Survey Ships, Survey Motor Launches and on the Laser Airborne Depth Sounder Aircraft. All units operate out of Cairns, North Queensland. Shore postings include Cairns, Darwin, the RAN Hydrographic School at HMAS Penguin, Middle Head in Sydney and both the Australian Hydrographic Office () and the Deployable Geospatial Survey Team () based in Wollongong.
Pacific (Leeuwin) Class Hydrographic Survey Ships (HS)
Paluma Class Survey Motor Launches (SML)
- Paluma A01
- Mermaid A02
- Shepparton A03
- Benalla A04
Fokker F27-500 Laser Airborne Depth Sounder (LADS)
- VH-EWP
Fleet Intermediate Maitainence Activity Cairns (FIMA Cairns)
FIMA Cairns is responsible to the Commander of Fleet Maintenance (CFM) to provide Intermediate Maintenance Assistance for the rectification of defects beyond the normal capacity or capability of ship's staff and to provide assistance to ships during programmed maintenance availabilities such as Assisted Maintenance Periods (AMPs) and Fleet Assisted Maintenance Periods (FAMPs).
History
The Royal Australian Navy has been a regular visitor to the port of Cairns for many decades stretching well back before the Second World War. Many ships, both military and merchant, made Cairns their principal port of call when travelling up the east coast of Australia during World War Two for re-supply and refit prior to heading to New Guinea, Java, the Solomon Islands and many other destinations throughout the Pacific.
A permanent Navy presence in Cairns did not begin however, until the new Patrol Boat Facility opened up at Grafton Street on the 29 January 1971 under the Command of LEUT H.P Shaw RAN. Starting with a complement of only one officer and fifteen sailors, the facility was to provide general repair and maintenance facilities for the newly formed Second Australian Patrol Boat Squadron. From mid 1971 the first Patrol Boats commenced refitting in Cairns with the work being carried out by private contractors.
On the 1 February 1974, the Grafton Street Establishment was then given the title HMAS Cairns and Commissioned under the command of CMDR J.M Yates RAN. By then the complement had grown to four officers and 30 sailors, as well as becoming the homeport for the 3 Attack Class Patrol Boats HMA Ships Barbette, Barricade and Bayonet as well as a single Hydrographic Survey Ship HMAS Flinders.
Today the Present HMAS Cairns sits on the site of a former Navy ship repair facility originally built by Navy at the Outbreak of World War II. Re-construction of the new Establishment began in 1979 and the base was relocated and formally Re-Commissioned here at Draper Street on the 28 May 1982 under the command of CMDR A.H Brecht RAN, along with an expanded complement of 13 Officers and 100 sailors.
HMAS Cairns was named after an Australian World War II Bathurst Class Corvette of the same name which began its sea service in 1942, serving in the Indian Ocean, Eastern Africa, the Mediterranean and in Australian waters.
Lifestyle and Recreation
You will be the envy of your shipmates when working and living in Cairns, as the city of Cairns boasts an International Airport, Casino and the Great Barrier Reef in your backyard.
Snorkeling, Scuba diving, Bungy jumping, White water rafting & skydiving are amongst other popular activities for the adventurous.
Accommodation and Meals
Officers and Senior Sailors
Service accommodation is located off base at the Northern Heritage, which is a Hotel/Resort style live-in complex situated on Sheridan St, Cairns North (7 minutes from HMAS Cairns).
All rooms are comfortable, self-contained and are cleaned daily.
Entertainment facilities are provided including a bar, T.V lounge, outdoor BBQ, swimming pool & spa.
Service Transport to and from work is available on weekdays (excludes weekends & public holidays).
All service meals are provided.
Junior Sailors
Service accommodation is also located off base at Las Palmas, which is also a Hotel/resort style live-in complex situated on Sheridan St, Cairns North (7 minutes from HMAS Cairns & 1 Block away from the Northern Heritage).
All Cabins are comfortable, self-contained and are cleaned daily.
Entertainment facilities are provided including T.V lounge, outdoor bar & BBQ with Pay T.V & swimming pool.
Service Transport to and from work is available on weekdays (excludes weekends & public holidays).
All service meals are provided.
Living Ashore
Service Married Quarters
Officers, Senior and Junior Sailors who are married, in a recognised inter-dependent relationship or have children, are entitled to live in a Service Married Quarter (SMQ) provided by the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).
Private rental accommodation
If DHA is unable to provide a Service Married Quarter and you have to take private rental accommodation, then Rental Allowance (RA) may be offered. RA is an allowance paid to help off set the costs of living in private rental accommodation. Many single members also have the option of living in private rental accommodation.
Sports
It is a mandatory requirement that all Navy personnel maintain a minimum level of personal fitness and as such, are individually ready to deploy at short notice. Therefore personnel are encouraged to participate in sporting activities to maintain personal fitness. You may also be selected to represent Navy competing against Local teams, visiting Foreign Services, Inter-Service (Army and Air Force) and Combined Service teams.
Extra Curricular activities
From time to time, ship's company including Junior Officer's Under Training (JOUT's) and SMN Rated Sailors, will be required to undertake activities such as Adventure training (Team Building) at locations such as Chilago, Tinaroo dam, the Lava Caves and Great Barrier Reef Islands. Personnel maybe be required to undertake guard training for Ceremonial occasions e.g. Navy week, ANZAC Day, Battle of the Coral Sea Commemoration, Remembrance Day & Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day.
Leave
Unless required for duty, Leave is in accordance with HMAS Cairns Ship's Standing Orders (3:40pm Mon-Thu or 1:00pm Fri). On certain occasions leave is granted by the Head of Department.
Note: If you are under 18 years of age you are required to return to quarters before 11.59pm.
