Devonport Naval Base

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The base headquarters building. Command Building At Devonport Base.jpg
The base headquarters building.
Canterbury berthed at the base. Devonport Naval Base.JPG
Canterbury berthed at the base.
Devonport Naval Base
Map of the Devonport Naval Base

Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and has been in use as a navy base since 1841. [1] The base consists of HMNZS Philomel (the administration centre for the base), the Fleet Support Organisation, and the Fleet Personnel and Training Organisation.

Contents

History

In the 1840s the first naval station in New Zealand was established at Devonport. Devonport was chosen due to the deep water of the harbour. [2]

Operation

All operational units of the Royal New Zealand Navy are based at Devonport. The Navy's munitions are stored and maintained at Kauri Point Armament Depot in Auckland. Senior naval staff are located at the NZDF headquarters in Wellington. The operational headquarters, and the effective fleet commander, the Maritime Component Commander are both located at Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand adjacent to Trentham Military Camp in the Upper Hutt suburb of Trentham. Within the Royal New Zealand Navy many land-based facilities and services ensure support for ships and personnel when deployed.

Facilities

Shore based support is predominantly based at the Devonport Naval Base, Auckland, with a long and varied list of services and facilities, including facilities for training, sports, and cultural activities, dry dock, as well as engineering and flight support and the Navy Hospital (and Hyperbaric Unit).

Maritime Engineering Support Team

The Navy’s fleet of ships are maintained by the Maritime Engineering Support Team (MEST). The MEST is based at Devonport Naval Base and is a blended workforce of Navy personnel in the Defence Logistics Command (Maritime) and Babcock New Zealand employees. Babcock New Zealand is the Strategic Maritime Partner for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

The base also has a modern converter system to supply the substantial power even a berthed navy ship requires. As NZ's navy ships use NATO standard 60-hertz power, such converters were needed to enable the base to use power supplied by the national grid. The new converters were installed in the late 2000s for $10 million, and will offer significant savings over using diesel generators, or having the vessels use their own power systems while in port. [3]

RNZN College

The RNZN College is also situated at Devonport Naval Base. Navy training encompasses numerous disciplines, from Recruit Training Squadron, Junior Officer Common Training and Sea Survival Training Squadron to specialised training for Operational, Technical and Trade, and Support Logistics branches.

Calliope Dock

One of the more famous elements of the base is the Calliope Dock, a drydock built in 1888 and still in use. At that time, it was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, and a strategic asset for the Royal Navy. It was named for Calliope Point, out of which it had been hewn by hand over three years. Coincidentally, one of the two first ships to enter it (as a show of her capacity) was HMS Calliope. Administered at first by the Auckland Harbour Board, the dock was transferred to the navy when the Auckland naval base moved from Torpedo Bay to Devonport, into a swamp area next to the dock. [1] [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

The New Zealand Defence Force is the three-branched military of New Zealand. The NZDF is responsible for the protection of the national security of New Zealand and its realm, promoting its interests, safeguarding peace and security, as well as supporting peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. It consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), the New Zealand Army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), as well as tri-service components. As of June 2024, the NZDF has a strength of 15,383 employees, consisting of 10,037 regular force personnel, 3,281 reserve force personnel and 3,294 civilian members. It is supported by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MOD) and is commanded by the Chief of Defence Force (CDF).

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HMS <i>Philomel</i> (1890) Pearl-class cruiser

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HMNZS<i> Philomel</i> Royal New Zealand Navy naval base in Auckland

HMNZS Philomel is the main administrative base of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Originally a training base on board the cruiser from which it takes its name, it is part of the Devonport Naval Base on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calliope Dock</span> Dry dock in Auckland

The Calliope Dock is a historical stone dry dock on the grounds of the Devonport Naval Base, in Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand. It was built in 1888 to service ships of the British Royal Navy, and is still in use today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torpedo Bay Navy Museum</span> Naval history museum

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The Maritime Component Commander (MCC) is the officer of Commodore rank who directs all the operational forces of the Royal New Zealand Navy. The current postholder is Captain D.G. McEwan, appointed 1 March 2018. MCC directs all the ships of the Navy and several subordinate captains and commanders, most resident several hundred kilometres to the north at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal New Zealand Navy Band</span> Military band from New Zealand

The Royal New Zealand Navy Band is the musical arm of the Royal New Zealand Navy, serving its musical needs from its headquarters at HMNZS Philomel on Devonport Naval Base, North Shore City, Auckland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Installations of the United States Navy in New Zealand</span> Former naval bases of the United States in New Zealand

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References

  1. 1 2 Devonport Naval Base Archived 2015-07-03 at the Wayback Machine (from the New Zealand Naval Museum website. Accessed 2015-07-05.)
  2. ↑ Heritage Consultancy Services (1 July 2011). North Shore Heritage - Thematic Review Report Volume 1 (PDF) (Report). Auckland Council. ISBN   978-1-927169-21-6 . Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  3. ↑ A question of Frequency - e.nz magazine, IPENZ, November/December 09, Page 24
  4. ↑ Calliope (from Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, 1966 Edition. Accessed 2008-06-16.)
  5. ↑ Development of naval repair facilities at Auckland, New Zealand 1841-1962 Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine - Bell, J.A.; AMRINA Deputy Constructive Manager HMNZ Dockyard

36°49′49″S174°47′10″E / 36.830241°S 174.786236°E / -36.830241; 174.786236

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