Publication:Sea Talk Autumn 2008/Creswell turns 50
by LEUT Desmond Woods*
HMAS Creswell is celebrating its 50th anniversary since commissioning as a shore establishment in 1958. This significant event took place when the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC) returned to its home at Jervis Bay after a prolonged period at Flinders Naval Depot on the Mornington Peninsular - where it had been sent as an economy measure in 1930.
Jervis Bay was, and still is, the ideal place for naval training with its easy access to deep water. The establishment is fringed with beaches and bush within Booderee National Park.
Creswell is home to more units than the RANC but the college continues to be its main activity providing induction training and education. Its principal function is delivering the New Entry Officer Course (NEOC) twice a year. New officer entrants range from school leavers to those seeking second and even third careers. This sometimes poses interesting challenges but ensures that each course has men and women with great experience to bring to the RAN.
The Commanding Officer, Captain John Vandyke, said “What struck me on my return to Creswell last year was just how busy it is, I am indeed fortunate in having such outstanding people, be they uniformed, defence civilian, or contractors who all work so tirelessly to make this establishment operate so effectively and achieve the important things that are done here. We are all fortunate also that is just happens to be in a beautiful spot.”
The current NEOC 37 consists of 125 men and women who are seeking to graduate into all the officer categories. They range in age from 17 to 54. The majority will become junior warfare officers, (formerly called seaman officer), others are heading for the engineering, legal, supply, aviation training systems and the medical branches of the Navy.
About a third will be going to the Australian Defence Force Academy on graduation from the RANC and after six months in the fleet. They will spend 2009 to 2011 studying for their degree from the University of NSW. The other two thirds will go to their application training courses where they will acquire their primary professional naval qualifications.
A small number of each NEOC intake consists of sailors who have reached the rank of leading seaman and then are selected for “changeover” to officer. These “old hands” are distributed around the five NEOC divisions so that each has at least one experienced member who can be relied on to give guidance on “Navy ways” to the newcomers.
In addition to NEOC all Reserve entry officers start their careers at Creswell. Many are highly experienced practitioners in law, medicine, nursing, public relations and other disciplines. They take away with them great pride and satisfaction in having made their start as an officer in the beauty of Jervis Bay and in the historic home of the RAN officer corps.
Warrant Officers and Senior Sailor Entry Officers Courses, three times a year, ensure that there is a substantial annual flow of senior sailors into the RAN’s officer ranks and that there are many opportunities for sailors to “change over” and continue to serve.
All officers and most senior sailors come to Creswell for leadership and management training. The Junior Officer Leadership Course and the Junior Officers Management and Strategic Studies completes the generic training of all officers, and the Senior Sailors Management and Staff Skills Course and Chief Petty Officers Leadership Development Course are also conducted by Creswell.
All entry officers training includes essential safety training conducted at the RAN School of Ship Safety and Survivability. The Navy swim test and sea survival training is designed to ensure all RAN members are able to take care of themselves and to help others in the event of an emergency at sea.
Fire fighting training and leak stopping is another vital component carried out at the school to equip both ships’ companies and individuals as part of their preparation for deployment to sea.
Every NEOC trainee, regardless of branch or specialisation, will spend the final month of NEOC training at sea in one of the larger ships of the fleet. The life they live is very similar to that of junior sailors. They live in mess decks and take part in “whole of ship” evolutions such as storing the ship.
They also spend enough time in every department to ensure that wherever their career takes them they will always have a working knowledge of how everyone on board contributes to the successful operation of the ship.
In the summer leave period Creswell also hosts the annual Naval Cadets Midshipmen's course. Very many of these young people later join the Navy and train at Creswell or the southern training establishment, HMAS Cerberus.
In 2007 the College trained and educated 793 officers and senior sailors. This greatly increased throughput and the varied and demanding training activity at Creswell has led to a need for expanded and more contemporary facilities and training classrooms due to be started this decade.
The RANC will celebrate its centenary in 2013 and by then an extensive refit should have been completed which includes: more adequate and flexible classroom space; a conference capability; a new sea survival facility plus fire fighting training simulators; a restored midshipmen’s gunroom; more and better cabin accommodation and a purpose-built gymnasium and a heated indoor swimming pool.
When this work is completed, Creswell and the RANC will be re-equipped for the continuing task of initial training of the RAN’s future officers for the duties, responsibilities and challenges of naval leadership in the 21st century.
- Public Relations Officer, HMAS Creswell
