List of Royal Australian Navy bases explained

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

Current bases

Naval facilityPurposeState/TerritoryLocationPeriodNotes
Fleet Base EastFleet base, depot, dockyardNew South WalesSydneyIncludes,, Garden Island dockyard & berthing facilities
Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling)Fleet base, depotWestern AustraliaGarden Island (Meandup)Major west coast warship & submarine base
Naval air stationNew South WalesNowraFleet Air Arm
BaseQueenslandCairnsPatrol boat, hydrography, and minor war vessels base
HMAS CerberusTraining facilityVictoriaCrib Point

Formerly located at
BaseNorthern TerritoryFormer Naval Wireless Transmitting Station, now a patrol boat base
Training facilityJervis Bay TerritoryJervis BayLocation of the Royal Australian Naval College
AdministrationSouth AustraliaAdelaide

Administration
Communications facilityAustralian Capital TerritoryCanberraA tri-service base
Administrative, logistical, training, accommodationNew South WalesSydneyAdministrative base for Fleet Base East
AdministrationQueenslandBrisbane

Administration and reserves
Depot, specialist trainingNew South Wales

Location of Balmoral Naval Hospital, hydrographic school, diving school and medical school
BaseNew South WalesMine Warfare and Clearance Diving Headquarters, part of Fleet Base East
Training facilityNew South WalesWatsons BayLocation of Maritime Warfare school

Former bases

Former naval facilityFormer purposeCountry
/
State/Territory
LocationPeriodNotes
Training facilityNew South Wales
DepotPapua New GuineaPort Moresby

1974–1983
DepotQueenslandBrisbane
BaseQueenslandThursday Island
EnglandLondon
Administrative centreJapanKure
DepotTasmaniaHobart
DepotSouth AustraliaPort Adelaide
DepotIndonesiaHalmahera Island
DepotTasmaniaHobart
DepotQueenslandCairns
DepotPapua New GuineaMilne Bay
Depot
Training facility
Western AustraliaFremantleCurrently used by Australian Army, known as Leeuwin Barracks
DepotVictoriaPort Melbourne
DepotPapua New GuineaTorokina1945
DepotPapua New GuineaMadang
DepotQueenslandTownsville
DepotNew South Wales
DepotNorthern TerritoryReplaced by HMAS Coonawarra
Training facilityNew South WalesWoolloomooloo
DepotQueenslandBrisbane
Naval air station
Training facility
New South WalesQuakers Hill

1956–1994
Now a campus of the Western Sydney University (2007)
Submarine baseNew South WalesNeutral Bay
DepotNew South WalesRushcutters BayCommissioned as HMAS Rushcutter on 1 August 1940
DepotPapua New GuineaLos Negros Island1950Name of base changed to .[1]
DepotPapua New GuineaDreger Harbour near Finschhafen,
Los Negros Island

1950–1974
Base at Dreger closed in 1950, and the base name and its personnel and equipment transferred to the former at Manus Island.
DepotSouth AustraliaPort Adelaide
Administrative centreUnited States of AmericaWashington DC

References

Notes and References

  1. News: MANUS BASE TO BE CALLED H.M.A.S. TARANGAU. . . 21 March 1950 . 24 October 2011 . 4 . National Library of Australia.