HMAS Stirling Museum

Focus and intent

The museum is a central point for displaying items of significance relating to the Naval history of HMAS Stirling which was commissioned as a Naval Base in 1978. Additionally, the museum displays details of significant Historical Naval events related to the West Coast of Australia.

The museum also carries items of interest pertaining to the history of the island which it resides on – Garden Island.

Our story

A need to record and display the history of HMAS Stirling and Garden Island was identified by Public Affairs Officer Lieutenant Commander Vic Jeffery. Lieutenant Commander Jeffery received a much deserved Order of Australia medal for his dedication and efforts in establishing this significant facility. Although small compared to other museums, the Stirling museum contains diverse exhibits covering a range of Navy related topics.

The Naval base HMAS Stirling was formally commissioned on 28 July 1978, and since this time has truly lived up to the motto “Go Forward”, by undertaking controlled expansion of an ever-developing fleet of ships and submarines.

Numerous artefacts in the museum draw attention however an exhibit of the nocturnal Tammar Wallaby, a Wallaby unique to Garden Island, is very popular with museum patrons.

Often described as a “jewel in Australia’s Defence crown”, HMAS Stirling, also referred to as Fleet Base West, continues to showcase the Australian Defence Force’s commitment to environmental values and serves a positive example of how the ADF and the environment can live in harmony. To date, the base continues to limit its footprint to only 30% of Garden Island, leaving the remainder undisturbed for conservation and public access purposes.

Location

The HMAS Stirling Museum is located on Garden Island (in Rockingham, Western Australia), just off Point Peron Road, next to the canteen at the main Amenities complex.