Ladies Day on the bay
26 September 2008
In another first for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), two of the Navy's most senior 'women in command' have rendezvoused in Moreton Bay, Queensland to take their ships in company up the Brisbane River.
CMDR Allison Norris, Commanding Officer of HMAS Melbourne, led CMDR Fiona Smith, Commanding Officer of HMAS Leeuwin, into the Port of Brisbane on Friday, September 19 for Brisbane Navy Week Celebrations. The four day visit included showing off the Navy's wares with open days on both ships and providing a platform for an important enlistment ceremony.
A host of ceremonial activities were paraded during the visit including a Ceremonial Sunset and "Beat to Quarters" performed before more than 400 spectators in the heart of Brisbane's CBD.
Melbourne's Brisbane port visit was part of a busy deployment period which has seen her visit Port Vila and take part in exercises including Kakadu and Singaroo.
CMDR Norris, in command since July, will now take Melbourne north into the Great Barrier Reef to train navigators through the Long Navigation course. After a stint alongside her homeport at Fleet Base East, she will head north again calling into Phuket and Singapore before turning south for a Fleet Concentration Period off the Western Australian coast.
For CMDR Smith the Brisbane visit was a break for her ship's company from an important survey deployment. "For the last three weeks we have been conducting survey operations within the Shoalwater Bay area," CMDR Smith told Navy News. "When we leave Brisbane we'll conducting survey operations for another seven weeks before our return to Cairns," she added.
On September 18 Leeuwin anchored off Redcliffe, Queensland to allow 40 Navy cadets from Training Ships (TS) Magnus, Moreton Bay, Paluma and Ipswich to be shuttled aboard in the ship's seaboats for a local sea-ride. The ship's company demonstrated a host of evolutions during the day for the cadets.
On September 19 prior to her pilotage up the Brisbane River, Melbourne went to anchor off Moreton Island. This was to provide the opportunity for 15 Navy cadets from Southport to sea-ride into port after their transfer by three Queensland Police launches. Once the cadets were safely aboard, the ships rendezvoused and headed towards the leads up to the Hamilton Wharves.
A small, but enthusiastic, group of relatives and friends were on the wharf to welcome the ships. The ships' companies then got to work to prepare for their open days. That afternoon the Senior Naval Officer South Queensland, CMDR Forbes Peters, called upon the ships with Queensland's new governor, Ms Penelope Wensley, to pay their respects.
The Friday evening saw members from the combined ships' companies, led by Guard Commander, LEUT Mark Skinner, along with the Queensland detachment of the RAN Band led by CPO Mike Vaughan perform the Ceremonial Sunset outside the Brisbane City Council offices opposite the colourfully lit Jupiter's Casino. More than 200 members of the public joined 180 VIP's, many of them uniformed RAN Reserve personnel, and their wives and partners, to watch the impressive ceremonies.
CMDR Norris, Smith and Peters, were hosted by Deputy Lord Mayor, Councillor Graham Quirk. Afterwards Councillor Quirk invited all sailors and the VIP's back to a reception in the Town Hall.
The next day both ships were opened to the public. The ship's companies set up static displays and demonstrations as prior media publicity and perfect weather brought hundreds to the event.
September 22 saw the flight deck of Melbourne turned into the stage for an enlistment ceremony with a special twist. Chief of Navy, VADM Russ Crane, AM, CSM, RAN, an 'old boy' of Tyalgum, flew in from Canberra to welcome all the newcomers including Tyalgum cadet Luke Adams. Luke joins his three brothers already serving in the RAN who were on hand to witness the ceremony.
Both ships sailed on September 23 from Brisbane to continue with their deployment commitments.
