History a voluntary job

By Graham Davis
Chief of Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie has a vision to better inform the Australian people of the history of the RAN.

One way he hopes to do this is to take from the seclusion of the Spectacle Island repository items of RAN memorabilia.

“I’d like the items exhibited in the recently refurbished former FIMA workshop at the northern end of Garden Island,” society patron VADM Ritchie said.

“The building is in the ‘public area’ of the island.”

VADM Ritchie’s remarks were made to staff and volunteers of the Naval Historical Society when he visited the society at its headquarters in The Boatshed at Garden Island.

He toured the building including the area where more than a million books, plans, sketches and photographs are stored.

He acknowledged the society’s work was an important adjunct to his vision to provide the general public with a better knowledge of the RAN’s history.

The society has undertaken the job of collating and putting on to a computer data base details from the million plus items it has in storage.

“We already have 1,500 images of ships on our website,” Mr Nicholls said.

He and his members receive help with the task from an organisation called Volunteers NSW.

“Each Tuesday and Thursday up to 15 volunteer come here to help. Their work is invaluable,” he said.
The society was founded in 1970 and is a non profit organisation.

Mr Nicholls does not want to lose the RAN’s history.

“I invite people who have books, plans, documents or photographs relating to the RAN and its ships to loan them to the society so we can log them. In addition I invite people to join the society,” he said.

The website is www.navyhistory.org.au or telephone (02) 9359 2372.

.