Toowoomba launched

Dockyard nippers Nicholas Knezevic and Nicole Campbell welcomed the Launch Lady.

The graceful lady begins the long journey of life on the sea.

Former crew members Ben Haseldine and Gordon Smith delighted with the day. Photos by Sgt Dave Grant

By Peter Johnson
“I name this ship Toowoomba. God bless her and all who sail in her.”

With these time-honoured words, Launch Lady Ms Judy Blight began the sequence that saw the ninth Anzac Class frigate slide into the tranquil waters of Hobsons Bay, carrying on a proud name and the tradition of a happy ship. Ms Blight is the daughter of LCDR Howard Goodwin, the last Commanding Officer of the first HMAS Toowoomba.

Toowoomba, scheduled for delivery to the RAN in 2005, was launched at the company’s shipyard at Williamstown in Melbourne. She takes the same name as the World War II minesweeping corvette and continues a link with the Darling Downs City of Toowoomba, Australia’s largest inland regional city.

A member of the first ship’s company, AA gunner and minesweeping yeoman, Ben Haseldine, said: “There’s no comparison in size, they are both fantastic ships. The original Toowoomba was a really happy ship, with a great crew and officers. They looked after us well.”

The launch took place in the presence of the Minister for Defence, Senator Robert Hill, VCDF, VADM Russ Shalders, CN, VADM Chris Ritchie, and Under-Secretary Defence Materiel, Mr Mick Roche. The Mayor of Toowoomba, Cr Dianne Thorley, and several students from Toowoomba State High School were present for the launch.

“With some excitement we come here to witness the launch of Australia’s seventh Anzac Class frigate.” VADM Ritchie said. Adding that the day after, HMAS Anzac would return to her homeport in WA after yet another successful tour of duty in the Persian Gulf.

“This has seen Anzac tested in a theatre of war and come through with flying colours, I am sure this latest Anzac will come to serve us just as well,” VADM Ritchie said.

Gordon Smith, a former member of the original ship’s company said: “She was a very small ship of 650 tons; she’d roll on wet grass. She was a very happy ship, to see something like this is magic. We never saw Toowoomba slipped.”

Anti-submarine control officer Douglas Jarden also attended. He was an AA gunner; with other tasks “anywhere they could put me around the ship.”

Mr Jarden ended the war as First Lieutenant and voted the newest Toowoomba’s launch as “fantastic, this is about six times the size,” he said.

The first HMAS Toowoomba was launched at Walkers Ltd shipyard, Maryborough, on March 26, 1941.

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