See main article: Bathurst-class corvette. In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while easy to construct and operate.[2] [3] The vessel was initially envisaged as having a displacement of approximately 500 tons, a speed of at least, and a range of [4] The opportunity to build a prototype in the place of a cancelled Bar-class boom defence vessel saw the proposed design increased to a 680-ton vessel, with a top speed, and a range of, armed with a 4-inch gun, equipped with asdic, and able to fitted with either depth charges or minesweeping equipment depending on the planned operations: although closer in size to a sloop than a local defence vessel, the resulting increased capabilities were accepted due to advantages over British-designed mine warfare and anti-submarine vessels.[2] [5] Construction of the prototype did not go ahead, but the plans were retained.[6] The need for locally built 'all-rounder' vessels at the start of World War II saw the "Australian Minesweepers" (designated as such to hide their anti-submarine capability, but popularly referred to as "corvettes") approved in September 1939, with 60 constructed during the course of the war: 36 (including Junee) ordered by the RAN, 20 ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.[2] [7] [8] [9] [1]
Junee was laid down by Poole & Steel at Balmain, New South Wales on 17 February 1943.[1] She was launched on 16 November 1943 by the wife of John Solomon Rosevear, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives, and commissioned into the RAN on 11 April 1944.[1]
After entering active service, Junee was briefly assigned to New Guinea before being redeployed to Darwin, where she served as an anti-submarine patrol ship until February 1945, when the corvette underwent refit in Melbourne.[1]
In April 1945, Junee was sent to New Guinea, to serve as a convoy escort and anti-submarine patrol ship.[1] In August, the corvette fired her weapons in anger for the first time; sinking three Japanese supply barges while in the Sangir Islands.[1] The corvette was later assigned to Balikpapan as a guard ship, where she remained until the end of World War II.[1]
Following the end of the war, Junee evacuated Australian prisoners-of-war and civilians, assisted in the transportation of occupation forces, and aided in the reestablishment of Dutch authority in the Netherlands East Indies.[1] After fulfilling these duties, Junee returned to Australia, and was paid off into reserve in Melbourne on 21 January 1946.[1]
Junee received two battle honours for her wartime service: "New Guinea 1943" and "Pacific 1944–45".[10] [11]
The corvette was reactivated and recommissioned as a training ship on 25 February 1953.[1] Initially operating along the east coast, Junee was reassigned to the west coast on 25 August, operating from Fremantle.[1]
HMAS Junee paid off to reserve for the final time at Fremantle on 21 August 1957.[1] She was sold for scrap to W. G. Davies of Fremantle on 18 June 1958.[1] The ship was stripped and the hull sunk in the Rottnest ship graveyard off Rottnest Island, Western Australia on 6 or 7 September 1968.[1] [12]