General News
24 May, 2023
Navy’s oldest ships farewelled
THE Navy’s oldest vessels – HMAS Benalla and Shepparton – have berthed for the final time at HMAS Cairns before their official decommissioning in June.
After 30 years of service and data collection necessary for creating military products for safety navigation, the two ships will be demilitarised before being offered for sale.
The ships are the last of the Paluma Class to serve, with HMAS Paluma and Mermaid retiring in 2021.
HMAS Shepparton entered service in 1990 and has held the title of ‘First Lady of the Fleet’ for the past two years as the oldest ship in the Australian Navy fleet.
The 36m-long ships formed part of the Navy’s hydrographic survey fleet, working in pairs to map the ocean floor and hydrographic charting.
HMAS Shepparton commanding officer LCDR Benjamin Stevenson said the final arrival into Cairns was a sad and proud moment, but new and more advanced capabilities were being introduced.
“That includes remotely operated vehicles as well new generation vessels featuring adaptive mine countermeasures and military survey capability,” said LCDR Stevenson.
HMAS Benalla Commanding Officer LCDR Michael Casey said the crews of the two ships spent a final night together sailing around Fitzroy Island, enjoying one last deck barbecue.
“The two ships and those who served on them have served proudly and with honour, but it’s now time for the next evolutionary step effect to meet the growing threat of mines and to better develop maritime environmental knowledge in support of operations,” said LCDR Casey.
