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21 August, 2024
Navy ship farewelled
NAVY hydrographic ship HMAS Melville (A246) has been decommissioned in Cairns after 24 years of service.
The ship, named after Melville Island in the Northern Territory, was one of two Leeuwin class hydrographic survey ships built and commissioned in Cairns in May, 2000.
It started as a ‘white’ survey ship, but was soon painted grey and took on more responsibility throughout the Indo-Pacific.
Melville sailed over 575,808 nautical miles (1,066,396km) in 24 years of service, equivalent to travelling around the earth 26.6 times.
Melville conducted hydrographic survey and environmental data collection around Australia and throughout the wider Indo-Pacific.
In addition to primary survey and hydrographic duties, Melville contributed greatly to disaster relief, humanitarian aid, border protection and fleet support.
Commander Ian McKellar said he was proud of Melville and the ship’s company.
“The ship and crew have performed admirably right up to the decommissioning, ready to demonstrate what a great team can achieve when they have such a terrific platform on which to perform,” he said.
The decommissioning ceremony took place in Melville’s homeport in from of a crowd of more than 300 onlookers made up of former crew, families and hydrographic personnel.
“A decommissioning can be a solemn occasion but for us today it is a celebration of the outstanding work this magnificent vessel has achieved in nearly a quarter century of service. I am sad to see her go but proud of having had the privilege of being her commanding officer and working with these amazing people,” said Commander McKellar.
Manunda resident David ‘Robbo’ Roberts was one of the first three crews formed to commission the ship in 2000, with his ‘blue’ crew the original relief or rollover crew.
“We spent months out and back (to sea and returning to port) training etc,” Mr Roberts said.
The former chief petty officer said the most memorable deployment was spending nine days alongside at Benoa in Bali on ‘holiday’ due to a political conflict.
A lot of time was also spent in the Torres Strait doing commercial work for companies such as BHP, he said.
Mr Roberts spent four years on Melville and retired from the navy in 2007.
