Navy to celebrate 115th birthday on 1 March
The Royal Australian Navy will 115th birthday tomorrow, 1 March, with multiple activities in the nation’s capital to highlight the milestone.
At 8am, Navy’s White Ensign will be hoisted on Canberra’s major flagpole.
The Australian White Ensign will replace the Australian National Flag flying from the flagpole at Regatta Point, Commonwealth Park, Canberra.
Navy personnel will be on hand as it is raised in a traditional Colours ceremony at 8am.
It will be lowered at sunset, 7.41pm.
At 11am there will be a National Commemorative Service at the Navy Memorial on Anzac Parade.
Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett will be accompanied by Assistant Minister for Defence Michael McCormack at the service.
Other commemorations and celebrations will be held at bases and on ships at home and across the world.
Legislation establishing the Royal Commonwealth Naval Force was passed eight weeks after Australian Federation on 1 January 1901.
Australia was the first Commonwealth nation to have its own Navy.
Today’s Navy has more than 700 personnel deployed on operations at an one time, including onboard HMAS Canberra, which arrived in Fiji overnight to support humanitarian relief efforts – and HMAS Darwin in the Middle East.
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Actually the RAN was founded in 1911, thereby making this year its 105th!
Not quite true mate. Before Federation in 1901, the individual colonies (now States) had their own Navies and, after Federation, those Navies were consolidated into one national Navy, called the Commonwealth Naval Forces. In 1911, the title ‘Royal Australian Navy’ was conferred upon that already established organisation. So, in other words, it was established or founded in 1901, but had a name change in 1911.
Not that I’m an expert or anything, but it says “Legislation establishing the Royal Commonwealth Naval Force was passed eight weeks after Australian Federation on 1 January 1901” in the story and Wikipidia told me the rest – and, the Royal Australian Navy says it’s 115 years old. That’s good enough for me (though I don’t always believe everything they tell me:-)
Brian Hartigan
Editor