Navy Victoria Network July 2014 News

News & Articles of Interest

Keep up to date - download our smartphone app
view the brochure......

29 Jul 2014	Minister for Defence – Doorstop – Defence + Industry Conference 2014, Adelaide QUESTION: (inaudible) JOHNSTON: We’ll see how the full-cycle docking for HMAS Farncomb, the length of time taken and how successfully ASC can manage that will probably be the benchmark, that’s what we’ve got to wait on. QUESTION: That’s for the submarines, what would you need to see, you say you want to see the shipbuilding, the AWD programme build up? More.....
29 Jul 2014	Navy's Maritime Tactical Operations Element gains an ocean of experience at RIMPAC Nineteen personnel from Australian Clearance Diving Team One’s Maritime Tactical Operations Defence Element (MTO DE) are embarked in the United States Navy’s Amphibious Transport Dock USS Anchorage for the sea phase of Exercise RIMPAC 2014, where they’re working with seven other mine counter measures (MCM) and diving units from the United States, the Netherlands, Chile, New Zealand, Canada and Japan. More.....
29 Jul 2014	Defence Minister approves First Pass for SEA 1397, Nulka upgrade Nulka is a sophisticated anti ship missile defence system, jointly developed by Australia and the United States during the 1990s, and today is in service with the Royal Australian Navy and the navies of the United States and Canada. More.....
29 Jul 2014	Defence and Industry Conference 2014 Opening address by Defence Minister. Read.....
28 Jul 2014	Defence Minister releases White Paper public consultation A 50-page Defence Issues Paper, containing a summary of the key issues for consideration in next year’s White Paper, has been released today by Defence Minister David Johnston. More.....
28 Jul 2014	Invite to ‘Anzac Centenary Commemorative Week’ events The Victorian Government has announced the official activities to mark the centenary of the commencement of the First World War on 4 August 1914. Veterans’ Affairs Minister Damian Drum said Victorians are encouraged to attend three, free events during Anzac Centenary Commemorative Week. More.....
26 Jul 2014	NVN's July newsletter NOTE from Webmaster: If you are a member and haven't been receiving your monthly newsletters by email, the email address you supplied on joining is incorrect or out of date. To correct this, contact the webmaster at: and he will copy and amend your address.
26 Jul 2014	A 'Night In' for White Ribbon Defence members and guests came together for a night of trivia challenges at the HMAS Cerberus Wardroom on 24 July 2014 to hold a White Ribbon Night In. The evening was held to show support and raise funds for the White Ribbon campaign to stop violence against women. More.....
25 Jul 2014	Defence optometry contract cancelled Earlier today, Defence’s medical and allied health provider to Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, Medibank Health Solutions (MHS), announced that it had terminated its contract with its optometry service provider, Luxottica Retail Australia Ltd, effective immediately. MHS advised Defence that Luxottica breached its contractual obligations by transferring optical claims information overseas for processing. More.....
25 Jul 2014	Twenty three indigenous Australians graduate from the first Navy-run Defence Indigenous Development Program Twenty three young men and women Navy recruits graduated from the Defence Indigenous Development Program North Queensland (DIDP-NQ) at a ceremony held at HMAS Cairns earlier this week. More.....
24 Jul 2014	US delegation discusses national security research with Australia Assistant Minister for Defence, Stuart Robert, today hosted a meeting with a delegation from the United States Department of Homeland Security to discuss collaboration on science and technology in support of national security. More.....
22 Jul 2014	HMAS Cerberus Welcomes Country HMAS Cerberus gathered its people to recognise the traditional owners of the Cerberus land by officially unveiling an Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodians plaque, observing a Welcome to Country and being part of an Indigenous smoke ceremony. The day’s events combined the significant traditions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with those of the Royal Australian Navy. More.....
21 Jul 2014	Those who preserve conquer 2014 has been marked by many important anniversaries for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), including the 50th anniversary of the collision between HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager, and the centenaries of the arrival of our first submarine squadron, the commencement of World War I and the RAN’s first battle (and victory) at sea in the Battle of Cocos. More.....
21 Jul 2014	HMAS Darwin completes Middle East region deployment HMAS Darwin has completed a highly successful maritime security deployment to the Middle East and is now heading home to Sydney. Deployed under tasking to the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, the Guided Missile Frigate with a Ship’s Company of 232 personnel seized narcotics with a street value of more than AU$2.1 billion during the five-month deployment, including the largest seizure of heroin (1032kg) in the CMF’s history. More.....
21 Jul 2014	End of an era – the LCHs’ long goodbye The Navy’s three remaining Landing Craft Heavy auxiliary vessels put on a proud display of thanks to the Cairns community, sailing in formation from the city’s harbour this morning. This was the last time HMA Ships Brunei, Labuan and Tarakan will sail in-company together in the port they have called home for nearly thirty years. More.....
21 Jul 2014	In All Respect READY by David Stevens Written by Australia’s foremost naval historian, In All Respects Ready presents the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the Australian Navy’s involvement in World War I yet published. When the newly built Australian fleet sailed into Sydney for the first time in October 1913, it was portrayed as a sign of peace that came from being prepared for war. Within a year that war had broken out, and the Royal Australian Navy, fully trained and ready, was the most professional and effective force Australia had to offer the British Empire. Throughout the next four years of conflict Australian ships and sailors would operate across the seas and oceans of the world, establishing a tradition of intrepid courage and dogged endurance while forging their own unique naval and national identity. View the flyer to receive 20% off.....
21 Jul 2014	Vietnam Veterans Day Commemoration Service to be conducted at the Melbourne Shrine of Remembrance on Monday 18th August 2014. All Vietnam Veterans, family and friends are most welcome to attend the day and the Vietnam Veterans Association would be delighted to see your Association Banner parading up the Shrine forecourt. We also have the Royal Australian Navy Band Melbourne supporting us this year and CAPT Stephen Bowater OAM RAN will be representing the Navy on the day. There is also a Gunfire Breakfast which provides an excellent opportunity for mingling with mates (new or old) before march step off. Full details in the flyer.....
18 Jul 2014	Joint Statement – Minister for Defence and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China At the invitation of the Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, General Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China, arrived in Australia on 16 July 2014 for a four-day official visit. General Fan met with the Hon. Tony Abbott MP, Prime Minister of Australia; the Hon. Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs; and held talks with Senator Johnston and senior Defence officials in Canberra on 17 July. More.....
18 Jul 2014	Defence Minister David Johnston hails closer Australia-Chinese Defence ties Defence Minister David Johnston has hailed the forging of closer defence relations between Australia and China following his meeting with General Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of the People’s Republic of China Central Military Commission. More.....
18 Jul 2014	The Melbourne Town Hall WWI Commemorative Event Have you registered to attend this free public event to commemorate 100 years since the beginning of the First World War? Hosted by the Victorian Government, the event will include re-enactments, musical pieces, readings from the diaries of soldiers and nurses and more. Details 6:00pm to 7:30pm 4 August 2014 Melbourne Town Hall - 90-120 Swanston St, Melbourne Register online for free admittance Learn more, register and print your e-ticket online
17 Jul 2014	Busy start to RIMPAC sea phase for Success HMAS Success has been busy since sailing from Pearl Harbor for the sea phase of RIMPAC, having conducted replenishment operations with Her Majesties Canadian Ship Calgary and United States Ships Lake Champlain, Spruance and Sampson. She has also operated with the Canadian submarine HMCS Victoria. More.....
15 Jul 2014	Navy League of Australia (Victorian Division) July newsletter.....
14 Jul 2014	A life well lived Former Warrant Officer Steward Allen Guthrie has experienced challenges, adventure and near misses, and during a recent visit to HMAS Cerberus, he shared tales of life in the Navy when the men were made of steel, scrubbing the deck meant sanding it with holystone, and sailors slumbered in hammocks. In April 1938, at the age of 18, Allen Guthrie signed up to serve his country, commencing a distinguished career spanning 35 years in the RAN. More.....
14 Jul 2014	‘Fearless’ filming at Fleet Base East Headlines were created when Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Clearance Diver Able Seaman Paul De Gelder was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour in 2009, and the story of his survival, recovery and return to Navy service captured the attention of people around Australia, and around the world. More.....
12 Jul 2014	AMC / LSI Association of Victoria The AMC / LSI Association of Victoria is the latest association to take advantage of NVN's offer to have their web pages inserted on the NVN's website. AMC / LSI (Armed Merchant Cruisers / Landing Ship Infantry) association represents veterans, descendants and serving members of HMAS WESTRALIA, KANIMBLA and MANOORA. Visit their website at http://amclsi.navyvic.net
11 Jul 2014	NAIDOC Week honoured at Australian War Memorial Past and present members of the Australian Defence Force came together at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) on 9 July to honour Indigenous personnel who have served and fought in 'Defence of Country' - the theme for this year’s NAIDOC celebrations. Indigenous Affairs Adviser Chief Petty Officer Ray Rosendale was a guest speaker at the event and said the Australian armed services which, in 1976 became the Australian Defence Force, was one of the few places where equality of wages and even advancement to leadership positions could be achieved by indigenous personnel. More.....
08 Jul 2014	Defence Minister hails defence science and technology accord with Japan Defence Minister David Johnston has hailed as “an important milestone” the signing today of an agreement with Japan deepening bilateral defence science and technology cooperation. More.....
07 Jul 2014	Australian Maritime Digest - Issue #236 The Australian Maritime Digest is compiled by the Australian Association for Maritime Affairs – www.aama.asn.au - and published monthly for the benefit of the Australian maritime community. Read.....
07 Jul 2014	Defence High Frequency communications system upgrade leads to improved communications Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, today announced the signing of a multi million dollar contract to significantly improve Defence communications capability with Boeing Defence Australia (BDA). “This contract – valued at more than $25-million – builds upon an initial concept further developed and tested by Ebor Computing, a South Australian based firm,” Minister Johnston said. More.....
06 Jul 2014	Adelaide Class Frigate maintenance contract signed Minister for Defence David Johnston today announced that Thales Australia Ltd has been awarded the Navy’s Adelaide Class guided missile frigate’s (FFG) Group Maintenance Contract. Senator Johnston said the contract will be for an initial period of four and half years with the potential for contract extensions to an anticipated value of $130 million. More.....
05 Jul 2014	NEW WEBSITE LINKS VETERANS TO SUPPORT WHEN THEY NEED IT The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson has officially launched a new dedicated website for the Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) at the South Australian RSL Congress in Adelaide today. VVCS is a free and confidential service that offers eligible veterans counselling, group programs, and after-hours crisis support 24 hours a day. More.....
04 Jul 2014	INTERNATIONAL SHIPS TO JOIN THE ALBANY CONVOY The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson today confirmed international ships from Japan and New Zealand will join Royal Australian Navy vessels in the Albany Convoy Commemorative Event in October. More.....
04 Jul 2014	Minister for Defence – Doorstop – DSTO Edinburgh QUESTION: I notice this morning you started talking about the possibility of a rolling build for the Future Frigates, does that mean industry is very keen on it? JOHNSTON: An enterprise, that is that we get a planned acquisition of not just Future Frigates, but many Navy ships if we can be cost-effective. That’s the thing that industry really wants, that’s the thing that the skillset required really needs, some consistency of long term planning in naval shipbuilding. If we can achieve that a lot of the problems we’ve had with stopping and starting submarines and frigates will evaporate, as seen in the UK and the USA. They don’t stop building, they come up with another plan, another design that they move to, that’s the secret. More.....
04 Jul 2014	Answering The Call Ten years ago, two Past Presidents of the Victoria Chapter of the Naval Historical Society of Australia, pondered the fact that although Victoria provided the bulk of the ships for the new Commonwealth Navy back in 1901, and indeed was the National Capital, with Navy Office being situated in Lonsdale Street until 1922, and then at Victoria Barracks until the move to Canberra; there was nothing to mark the significance of Melbourne in the operations of our Royal Australian Navy in two world wars. More.....
04 Jul 2014	Minister visits Australia's two new Landing Helicopter Dock ships Defence Minister David Johnston visited the Williamstown dockyard where Australia’s two Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ships are being completed and was briefed on progress of the project in the lead up to the commissioning of the first LHD, NUSHIP Canberra. More.....
04 Jul 2014	Higher Education Support For Vietnam Veterans' Children Students from around Australia will be given a helping hand as they prepare for study this year with funding through the Long Tan Bursary Scheme, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson announced today. More.....
03 Jul 2014	Strengthening Access To Mental Health Support For Former ADF Members and Families A new YouTube video has been launched highlighting the help available to veterans from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson, launched the ‘Start the journey back to good mental health’ clip at the Victorian RSL Congress in Melbourne. More.....
03 Jul 2014	Strengthening Access To Mental Health Support For Former ADF Members and Families Today the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Senator the Hon Michael Ronaldson, announced three major initiatives which expand existing mental health services for veterans and their families. From today, eligible veterans will have access to treatment for alcohol and substance use disorders and be able to access treatment for certain conditions without the need to make a claim for compensation from the Australian Government. Counselling services will also be expanded to more veterans and family members. More.....
03 Jul 2014	First Glimpse Inside WW1 Submarine Wreck in Turkey More than 99 years after she fell in battle in the First World War, a project to record, preserve and tell the story of the Australian submarine HMAS AE2, lying at the bottom of Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, is underway, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson announced today. More.....
02 Jul 2014	Defence Minister launches Australian War Memorial’s official history of peacekeeping Defence Minister David Johnston has praised the Australian War Memorial for its publication of The Good International Citizen: Volume III of the Official History of Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Post-Cold War Operations. More.....
01 Jul 2014	P 292335Z JUN 14 FM CN AUSTRALIA SUBJ: CN HAUL DOWN SIGNAL 1. TODAY MY FLAG WILL BE HAULED DOWN AND I WILL HAND OVER COMMAND OF THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY TO VICE ADMIRAL TIM BARRETT. IT HAS BEEN THE MOST ENORMOUS PRIVILEGE FOR ME, TO BE GIVEN THE HONOUR OF LEADING YOU ALL FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS AND BEING THE PROFESSIONAL HEAD OF THE BEST NAVY IN THE WORLD. IT IS NOT AN HONOUR THAT MANY ARE GIVEN. More.....
01 Jul 2014	Remember Our Reserves Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Senator the Hon. Michael Ronaldson has encouraged all Australians to recognise the important contribution of Reservists who have served in past and contemporary conflicts and peacekeeping operations during this years Reserve Forces Day. More.....
01 Jul 2014	HMAS Darwin strikes again against drug smugglers HMAS Darwin has struck again against drug smugglers, intercepting another vessel in the Arabian Sea and seizing more than 6.2 tonnes of narcotics with an estimated street value of almost $250 million. Darwin’s boarding parties located 315 bags hidden onboard the dhow. Each bag contained between 20 to 21 kilograms of hashish. More.....
01 Jul 2014	Chief of Defence Force change of command The Australian Defence Force has a new Chief after General David Hurley passed command to Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin at a parade in Canberra this afternoon. Newly-promoted Air Chief Marshal Binskin paid tribute to General Hurley’s 42 years of distinguished service. More.....
01 Jul 2014	HMAS Parramatta visits Noumea ahead of Operation SOLANIA The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Parramatta has completed its visit to Noumea, New Caledonia, before commencing a patrol as part of Operation SOLANIA. The ANZAC Class Frigate left Noumea today after spending three days strengthening relationships with the French Armed Forces New Caledonia (FANC) and promoting multilateral security cooperation. More.....
01 Jul 2014	Missile upgrade will boost Navy protection Royal Australian Navy warships will be better protected against the threat of anti-ship missiles following a decision that opens the way to equip the ships with an upgraded version of the Evolved Seasparrow missile system, the Minister for Defence, Senator David Johnston, announced today. Australia has elected to continue its participation in the NATO Seasparrow Consortium Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) program that commenced in 1990. More.....
01 Jul 2014	New Chief of Navy takes command Over 500 Royal Australian Navy personnel farewelled the outgoing Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs and welcomed their new leader Vice Admiral Tim Barrett in an official ceremony at Sir Thomas Blamey Square in Canberra today. The Navy’s new Chief, Vice Admiral Barrett recognised with deep appreciation Vice Admiral Griggs’s progressive leadership over the last three years. More.....

Anzac Centenary Events
2014 - 2018

The Anzac Centenary (2014 – 2018) will shine a spotlight on the commitment and sacrifice of those who served in the First World War.

Across Victoria, there will be a number of commemorative events marking key dates throughout the Centenary.

OCTOBER 2015

ANZAC Naval Commemorative Ball - 17 October 2015
The Naval Commemorative Committee Victoria, invite all serving ADF personnel, Australian and Allied Veterans along with family and friends, to attend the ANZAC Naval Commemorative Ball on Saturday 17 October 2015 at (New Venue) The Atrium, Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Rd, Flemington (10 Minutes from the CBD). Dance to the Music of the RAN Dance Band. The Ball is open to all serving and former members of the ADF, NZDF, Reserves, Cadets, families, friends, Police, Emergency Services, our Allies and the General Public.
Full details at: http://www.anzacball2015.org/p2 and http://www.anzacball2015.org/p6

Navy Ball Flyer.....
Navy Ball Information page.....
Navy Ball Booking Form.....

Should you wish to register an event, go to the Anzac Centenary website.

News & Articles of Interest

Archives

Anzac Centenary Events 2014 - 2018

Anzac Centenary Events
2014 - 2018