L50 HMAS TOBRUK with tractor which is a gift to the people of East Timor. Pic: LSPH Kev Bristow

The Royal Australian Navy's "workhorse" HMAS TOBRUK continues to get strife torn East Timor back on its feet with deliveries of important civil provided humanitarian aid.

When CMDR Vin Thompson guided his 6,000 tonne ship out of Sydney Harbour on May 12, she carried a varied assortment of items which will aid families directly and give work to others.

On the tank deck were two donated station wagons and a tractor.

Nearby was a large plastic water tank going to Australian Patricia Johns who now runs an orphanage with more than 30 children.

Carried elsewhere were sewing machines and bolts of cloth ready for use in village sewing rooms for clothing manufacture.

The machines and cloth had been gathered by Mrs Danni Sloper, wife of retired CDRE Graham Sloper.

The couple's daughter LEUT Tamara Sloper, had told her mother of the needs of the East Timorese after she had spent time deployed on the island.

"In all we loaded about eight containers of aid for East Timor," CMDR Thompson, said.

"Apart from the vehicles and tractor we loaded clothing for adults and children, even some baby capsules to be used in cars. There were also some unusual items, such as hockey sticks," he said.

TOBRUK's load of aid items comes just weeks after CMDR Chris Frost and his team delivered many tonnes of aid carried north by HMAS MANOORA.

TOBRUK's humanitarian cargo delivery to Dili will be just part of a 10 week deployment to the north and the Pacific.

With 165 aboard, including 14 soldiers, the ship will go first to Darwin where it will temporarily offload its cargo, including seven Holden Rodeo trucks going to New Zealand forces in Dili.

It will then take on about 18 tanks and 25 APCs and more than 100 soldiers and take them to Townsville where they will take part in an extensive First Brigade military exercise.

TOBRUK then goes to Bougainville to swap two "fresh" LCM8s for two tired landing craft.

She is then on to Port Vila and Espiritu Santo for a friendly visit.

The ship returns to Townsville collecting the tanks and APCs and taking them back to Darwin.

From Darwin it is on to Dili with the NZ trucks and humanitarian goods and two "fresh" LCM8s to replace two well worked vessels on the island.

"We'll collect RAN and Army equipment and vehicles no longer needed in East Timor and bring them back to Australia," CMDR Thompson said.

"We hope to be home on July 13," he added.

TOBRUK's present voyage to East Timor is the latest in a series which began last September with the first arrival of INTERFET forces.