Captain of HMAS Sheean LCDR Tim Brown presents the NSW Rural Fire Service's Commissioner Phil Koperberg with the cheque for $2150 raised on Sheean's voyage east.

Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg says the ship's company of submarine HMAS Sheean had put in a "remarkable effort" in raising $2,150 for the victims of the Christmas 2001 bushfires.

Sheean was at home in Western Australia when the fires destroyed 109 homes, blackened 650,000 hectares of NSW and brought fear and hardship to thousands of people.

Commanding officer, LCDR Tim Brown, his executive officer LCDR Mark Hammond and their 53 fellow officers and sailors had great sympathy for the victims and decided to conduct a fund raising raffle.

Tickets were obtained, a $5 per ticket price struck and selling begun.

The prize was a model of a Collins Class submarine on a polished metre-long board.

Among the first buyers of the tickets were members of the ship's company of an American submarine then visiting HMAS Stirling.

As Sheean transited from Fleet Base West to Fleet Base East, her sailors took every opportunity to sell more tickets.

An item in the HMAS Kuttabul newsletter boosted sales further. The man who led the battle against the fires, and head of the 70,000 yellow overalled members of the Rural Fire Service of NSW, Commissioner Phil Koperberg, was invited to the submarine to draw the winning ticket.

The winning ticket (grey No 91) was held by the Fleet Navigation Officer, LCDR John Sadler.

Addressing the 'men in black' from Sheean, Commissioner Koperberg said: "This is a remarkable effort on your part. It will go to help those who lost everything". Accepting the cheque he said it would top up the $6 million Australians had already donated.

"Incredible" was his assessment of what is one of the RAN's most important assets.

One of the Royal Navy's most senior officers has described the Royal Australian Navy's submarine HMAS Sheean as "super".

"She is lighter than I thought but I was very impressed by her capability," the First Sea Lord and the RN's Chief of Naval Staff, ADML Sir Nigel Essenhigh, said. Sir Nigel made the remarks after touring the submarine at Fleet Base East.

His hosts were the commanding officer of the boat, LCDR Tim Brown and the Maritime Commander, RADM Geoff Smith.

He acknowledged that the Collins Class submarines had experienced problems but that this was to be expected with a new vessel.

Sir Nigel commended the well turned out submarine. Sheean recently won the Voyager Trophy, an award for excellence in undersea and anti-submarine warfare.

She is the first submarine to take the award.

The boat is set to take part in RIMPAC 2002 off Hawaii later this year.

By Graham Davis