By LS Rachel Irving and Graham Davis

Nuship Ballarat sits proudly at the wharf at Tenix, Melbourne.

Nuship Ballarat at the Tenix dockyard Melbourne.

Ballarat locals posted to Ballarat include L to R, LEUT Andy Barnes, POSTD Felicity Coe and SMNET Daniel Hooper.

Nuship Perth will slide into Port Phillip Bay on March 20, launch day.

Nuship Toowoomba (156) and Nuship Ballarat sit alongside the Tenix wharf, Melbourne.

ABSTD Kate Dennis, Honorary HMAS Yarra Memorial Co-ordinator Mr Angus Walsh and ABSTD Victoria Best at the Yarra Memorial. Ship’s company from Nuship Ballarat late last month replaced the worn and tattered National flag with a new one.

Mr Angus Walsh, OAM, addresses ship’s company of Ballarat at the flag changeover ceremony, HMAS Yarra memorial.

Nuship Ballarat, the RAN’s sixth Anzac Class frigate, has commenced contractor sea trials in preparation for delivery to the Navy.

Ballarat, (CMDR David Hunter) bow number 155, took to the water on Friday March 5 for 12 days off the Victorian coast to test her systems and performance ahead of formal handover proceedings.

Under the command of Tenix and taking about 35 members of Ballarat’s ship’s company with her, including her designated first Commanding Officer, the ship will be put through a rigorous set of exercises and trials to ensure she is ready for acceptance.

These include firing the gun and full power trials. “Ballarat is set to be delivered to the RAN on April 30,” CMDR Hunter told Navy News.

“This will be three months ahead of schedule.” “Tenix has expedited its building program. It learned much from producing the first Anzacs,” CMDR Hunter said.

Ballarat is expected to commission into the RAN mid year. But her commissioning will be just the start of a busy time, with workups off the Eastern coast before heading to her new home in Sydney.

She will also conduct first of class flight trials later in the year with the new Super Seasprite helicopters. With about 125 of an eventual crew of 160 already at Tenix, some of Ballarat’s ship’s company have commissioned other Anzac class vessels and bring a wealth of experience.

XO, LCDR Steve Dryden, said, “In terms of Esprit de Corps, Ballarat has come together really nicely.”

“Having to train an entire ship’s company up to a satisfactory level to go, it has proved invaluable to have people like CPO Glen Pope, who will have his fifth Anzac commissioning and CPO Darren Reid.

Their expertise has been invaluable to me and to the other HODS.” Fittings and modifications to Ballarat have been the result of lessons learnt from the Anzacs already in commision. Her Junior Sailors cafe for example, is different to that on HMAS Anzac.

The new gallery sees a better 'flow-through' design from the serving line. Her hangars are also slightly different, with better fans and a RAST system for the Seasprites already fitted.

Ballarat also takes to the water with Centaur (ESM suite) and Milsatcom as standard fit. The first steel for the 2,700-ton ship was cut on November 4, 1998 and the keel laid on August 4, 2000.

March 20 will mark another milestone doe Tenix and the RAN as the last Anzacvessel number 10, Nurship Perth (157), will be launched into port Phillip Bay.

Nuship Toowoomba (156) is already in the water. She will commence crewingup in July. Already in service with the RAN are HMA Ships Anzac (150), Arunta (151), Warramunga (152), Stuart (153) and Parramatta (154).

Two Anzac frigates are also in service with the New Zealand Navy, HMNZ Ships Te Kaha (77) and Te Mana (111).

Sign of a strong link

Ballarat I and Ballarat II Fast Facts at a glance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.