“Today we celebrate the 111th Birthday of the Australian Navy.
01 March is an important day for all of us to strengthen and remember our Australian heritage. It is a day to acknowledge the lives lost, the sacrifices made and the selfless service given by tens of thousands of fellow Australians who have provided us with valuable lessons based on their own experiences and challenges. I firmly believe we cannot shape our own future without acknowledging our history and foundations.
I recently experienced this history first hand when I had the privilege to meet seven of the twelve remaining HMAS Perth (I) survivors at the Australian War Memorial commemoration service for the seventy year anniversary of the Battle of Sunda Strait. Meeting our naval veterans is always an honour. As a group they were truly inspirational. They remind all of us in this uniform of what we may be asked to do as part of a combat force.
In a more contemporary setting last week we saw the report by the WA Coroner into the tragic events of 15 December 2012, when SIEV 221 foundered on the rocks at Christmas Island and up to 50 asylum seekers perished. I remain very proud of what the Assail Three crew did on that day. They were the most difficult and tragic of circumstances and our people were magnificent. Like their mates who dealt with the explosions on SIEV 36 in Apr 2009, these actions are the truest indicator of the quality of our people and of the intrinsic nature of Australia’s Navy. It reinforces for me that there remains an unbroken thread throughout the last 111 years where this sort of behaviour has been consistently demonstrated in both peace and in war.
As for the future, our one hundred and twelfth year will see the arrival of LHD Canberra in Melbourne for the completion of her construction and the launch of her younger sister Adelaide. As I have said on a number of occasions the arrival of this ship will be a game changer for not only us in the Navy but for all of the ADF. It will also bring levels of excitement and challenge which I am sure were similar to those experienced during the early days of our Navy. Soon we will also see the introduction of new combat helicopters and the Air Warfare Destroyers. This will be followed by the Offshore Combatant Vessel, and in the mid-2020’s a new frigate to replace the Anzacs and the future submarine. These will of course bring their own challenges which I know we will be ready for.
What began 111 years ago as the development of an Australian Navy has grown and continued to mature into a force which I am immensely proud of. We are on watch around the world, ashore and at Sea, on peacetime and active service getting on with the job we have been given.
My best wishes to you all on this important day.”
VADM Ray Griggs
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , March 02, 2012; Image: navy