February 9th - On This Date - Royal Australian Navy

1870

A "Southern Cross Flag", claimed to be the official ensign of the Colony of Victoria, was hoisted in HMVS NELSON.

1910

HMAS PARRAMATTA, (torpedo boat destroyer), was the first warship ordered by the Government to be built for the Australian Navy since Federation in 1901. It was launched at Govan, Scotland, by Mrs. Asquith, wife of the British Prime Minister.

1919

HMS VENDETTA, later HMAS VENDETTA, (destroyer), engaged Bolshevik ground troops with gunfire at Windau in the Baltic to relieve Red Army pressure on the Lettish Army.

1935

HMAS AUSTRALIA, (cruiser), took off the crew of the disabled American schooner SETH PARKER, north of Apia.

1945

Carrier-borne aircraft from the British Pacific Fleet landed at Nowra, NSW. The air station was in use by the RAAF from 7 May 1942 until it was transferred to the RN as an air station on 15 October 1944. On the departure of the RN the station was in disuse until taken over by the RAN and commissioned as HMAS ALBATROSS in 1948.

1968

The destroyer tender HMAS STALWART, (CAPT G. V. Gladstone, DSC, RAN), was commissioned at Sydney. STALWART was laid down in Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, and was launched on 7 October 1966. Lady Casey, (Wife of the Governor General), performed the launching ceremony. STALWART was involved in numerous deployments to South East Asia and the Western Pacific and was also part of the RAN task force sent to Darwin to assist following the devastation caused by Cyclone Tracy. She also spent a substantial part of her career secured by her stern to the eastern shore of Garden Island, where she provided support to other ships of the fleet. As a result of this she was often unfairly called "Building 215", (which referred to her pennant number). STALWART was decommissioned on 19 May 1990 after 22 years of service.

1976

Event #1 The Australian Naval Board flag was lowered for the last time. The flag's design dated back to the 17th century. Event #2 The Defence Reorganisation Act gave the Chiefs of Staff direct control over their respective services.

1990

The Navy tug MOLLYMAWK capsized after colliding with HMAS TOBRUK in the Fleet Base at Sydney.

'On This Day' is based on the book "Navy Day by Day: Historic Naval Events in Australia and Abroad" written by the late Lew Lind.