List of Royal Australian Navy bases

Last updated March 14, 2023

The following is a list of current and former commissioned bases used by the Royal Australian Navy.

Current bases

Naval facility	Purpose	State/Territory	Location	Period	Notes
Fleet Base East	Fleet base, depot, dockyard	New South Wales	Sydney	1788–present	Includes HMAS Kuttabul, HMAS Waterhen and Garden Island dockyard and berthing facilities
Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling)	Fleet base, depot	Western Australia	Garden Island	1978–present	Major West Coast base, submarine base

HMAS Albatross	Naval air station	New South Wales	Nowra	1948–present	Fleet Air Arm
HMAS Cairns	Base	Queensland	Cairns	1974–present	Patrol boat, hydrography, and minor war vessels base
HMAS Cerberus	Training facility	Victoria	Crib Point	1912–1921; 1921–present	Formerly located at Williamstown
HMAS Coonawarra	Base	Northern Territory	Darwin	1970–present	Former Naval Wireless Transmitting Station, now a patrol boat base
HMAS Creswell	Training facility	Jervis Bay Territory	Jervis Bay	1958–present	Location of the Royal Australian Naval College
HMAS Encounter (naval base)	Administration	South Australia	Adelaide	1965–1994; 2022–present	Administration
HMAS Harman	Communications facility	Australian Capital Territory	Canberra	1943–present	A tri-service base
HMAS Kuttabul	Administrative, logistical, training, accommodation	New South Wales	Sydney	1943–present	Administrative base for Fleet Base East
HMAS Moreton	Administration	Queensland	Brisbane	1932–1994; 2016–present	Administration and reserves
HMAS Penguin	Depot, specialist training	New South Wales	Balmoral	1913–1942; 1943–present	Location of Balmoral Naval Hospital, hydrographic school, diving school and medical school
HMAS Waterhen	Base	New South Wales	Waverton	1962–present	Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Headquarters, part of Fleet Base East
HMAS Watson	Training facility	New South Wales	Watsons Bay	1945–present	Location of Maritime Warfare school

Former bases

Former naval facility	Former purpose	Country (if outside Australia)/ State/Territory	Location	Period	Notes
HMAS Assault	Training facility	New South Wales	Port Stephens	1942–1945
HMAS Basilisk	Depot	Papua New Guinea	Port Moresby	1942–1945; 1974–1983
HMAS Brisbane	Depot	Queensland	Brisbane	1940–1942
HMAS Carpentaria	Base	Queensland	Thursday Island	1945–1946
HMAS Carpentaria	Administrative centre	England	London	1966–1981
HMAS Commonwealth	Administrative centre	Japan	Kure	1948–1956
HMAS Derwent	Depot	Tasmania	Hobart	1940–1942
HMAS Encounter	Depot	South Australia	Port Adelaide	1965–1994
HMAS Gilolo	Depot	Indonesia	Halmahera Island	1945–1946
HMAS Huon	Depot	Tasmania	Hobart	1942–1994
HMAS Kuranda	Depot	Queensland	Cairns	1944–1945
HMAS Ladava	Depot	Papua New Guinea	Milne Bay	1943–1945
HMAS Leeuwin	Depot Training facility	Western Australia	Fremantle	1940–1986	Currently used by Australian Army, known as Leeuwin Barracks
HMAS Lonsdale	Depot	Victoria	Port Melbourne	1940–1992
HMAS Lusair	Depot	Papua New Guinea	Torokina	1945
HMAS Madang	Depot	Papua New Guinea	Madang	1944–1946
HMAS Magnetic	Depot	Queensland	Townsville	1942–1948
HMAS Maitland	Depot	New South Wales	Newcastle	1940–1946
HMAS Melville	Depot	Northern Territory	Darwin	1940–1975	Replaced by HMAS Coonawarra
HMAS Mindari	Training facility	New South Wales	Woolloomooloo	1945–1948
HMAS Moreton	Depot	Queensland	Brisbane	1942–1994
HMAS Nirimba	Naval air station Training facility	New South Wales	Quakers Hill	1953–1955; 1956–1994	Now a campus of the Western Sydney University (2007)
HMAS Platypus	Submarine base	New South Wales	Neutral Bay	1967–1999
HMAS Rushcutter	Depot	New South Wales	Rushcutters Bay	1901–1979	Commissioned as HMAS Rushcutter on 1 August 1940
HMAS Seeadler	Depot	Papua New Guinea	Los Negros Island	1950	Name of base changed to HMAS Tarangau.^[1]
HMAS Tarangau	Depot	Papua New Guinea	Dreger Harbour near Finschhafen, Los Negros Island	1946–1950; 1950–1974	Base at Dreger closed in 1950, and the base name and its personnel and equipment transferred to the former HMAS Seeadler at Manus Island.^[1]
HMAS Torrens	Depot	South Australia	Port Adelaide	1940–1964
HMAS Waratah	Administrative centre	United States of America	Washington DC	1966–1980

Notes

1 2 "MANUS BASE TO BE CALLED H.M.A.S. TARANGAU". The Canberra Times . 21 March 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 24 October 2011– via National Library of Australia.

Related Research Articles

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of Defence (MINDEF) and the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). The Department of Defence as part of the Australian Public Service administers the ADF.

Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral.

An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign, used on warships, may be different from the civil ensign or the yacht ensign. Large versions of naval ensigns called battle ensigns are used when a warship goes into battle. The ensign differs from the jack, which is flown from a jackstaff at the bow of a vessel.

A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloop-of-war.

Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.

Commander is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title or "billet" in many armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.

HisMajesty's Ship, abbreviated HMS and H.M.S., is the ship prefix used for ships of the navy in some monarchies. Derived terms such as HMAS and equivalents in other languages such as SMS are used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clearance Diving Branch (RAN)</span> Diving unit of the Royal Australian Navy

The Clearance Diving Branch is the specialist diving unit of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) whose versatile role covers all spheres of military diving, and includes explosive ordnance disposal and maritime counter-terrorism. The Branch has evolved from traditional maritime diving, and explosive ordnance disposal, to include a special operations focus.

HMAS Australia was one of three Indefatigable-class battlecruisers built for the defence of the British Empire. Ordered by the Australian government in 1909, she was launched in 1911, and commissioned as flagship of the fledgling Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1913. Australia was the only capital ship ever to serve in the RAN.

Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N) is the most senior sailor in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It is a singular appointment, being only held by one person at any time. The special insignia for the WO-N is the Australian coat of arms with a wreath around it. The current Warrant Officer of the Navy is Andrew Bertoncin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell</span> Royal Australian Navy shore establishment

The Royal Australian Naval College (RANC), commonly known as HMAS Creswell, is the naval academy of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It consists of the RAN School of Survivability and Ship's Safety, Kalkara Flight, the Beecroft Weapons Range and an administrative support department. It is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch on the shores of Jervis Bay in the Jervis Bay Territory. Since 1915, the RANC has been the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Australian Navy.

The Australia Station was the British, and later Australian, naval command responsible for the waters around the Australian continent. Australia Station was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, Australia Station, whose rank varied over time.

723 Squadron is a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron. The squadron was first raised in 1952 and throughout its history has served operationally during the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and in East Timor. It currently operates as a helicopter training squadron and is based at HMAS Albatross at Nowra, New South Wales.

The Royal Australian Navy School of Underwater Medicine (RANSUM) is an instructor-led training course based at Sydney, Australia.

Fleet Command is responsible for the command, operations, readiness, training and force generation of all ships, submarines, aircraft squadrons, diving teams, and shore establishments of the Royal Australian Navy. Fleet Command is headquartered at HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney, and is led by the Commander Australian Fleet (COMAUSFLT), also referred to as Fleet Commander Australia (FCAUST), which is a rear admiral (two-star) appointment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle honours of the Royal Australian Navy</span>

Ships and units of the Royal Australian Navy have received numerous battle honours throughout the navy's history.

The Navy Headquarters is the command responsible for training, personnel, resources, engineering and capability development of the Royal Australian Navy. As such Navy Headquarters works with the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, the Defence Science and Technology Group, and the Joint Capabilities Group to ensure the personal, materiel and logistical capabilities of the Royal Australian Navy.

The following index is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Wikipedia's articles on recreational dive sites. The level of coverage may vary:

Recreational dive sites are specific places that recreational scuba divers go to enjoy the underwater environment or for training purposes. They include technical diving sites beyond the range generally accepted for recreational diving. In this context all diving done for recreational purposes is included. Professional diving tends to be done where the job is, and with the exception of diver training and leading groups of recreational divers, does not generally occur at specific sites chosen for their easy access, pleasant conditions or interesting features.

References

Stevens, D. (2001). The Royal Australian Navy — A History. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195555422.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[canberra_times-1] 1 2 "MANUS BASE TO BE CALLED H.M.A.S. TARANGAU". The Canberra Times . 21 March 1950. p. 4. Retrieved 24 October 2011– via National Library of Australia.

[1]