By
Graham Davis
Putting
out a restaurant fire, doing a Freedom of Entry, conducting “open
house” and taking Australian Naval Cadets on a sea ride were all
part of a busy four-day visit to Melbourne for LCDR Bryan Parker
and his ship’s company in patrol boat HMAS Bendigo.
The Cairns-based boat went to Melbourne last month to take part
only the second Freedom of Entry parade through the streets of
Bendigo her career.
Her last FOE was in 1988. Upon arrival at Docklands in Melbourne,
the first sailors ashore noticed a heater in an external eating
area of a nearby restaurant had ignited the umbrella above it.
“They immediately went across and using a portable foam extinguisher
from the ship to put out the fire,” LCDR Parker told Navy News.
The ship’s company then set up for a visit by the public.
Then it was off to her home city, Bendigo. Large Saturday morning
crowds lined the streets as LCDR Parker led his ship’s company
of 24 officers and sailors.
The Melbourne detachment of the RAN Band led the parade with cadets
from TS Bendigo following the ship’s company.
Members of the Naval Association and the HMAS Bendigo Association
were in attendance, including an original member of the ship’s
company of the World War corvette Bendigo I.
The Senior Naval Officer Victoria, CAPT Bob Richards, and the
Mayor of Bendigo, Councillor Greg Williams, reviewed the parade.
The next day the patrol boat took 30 TS Bendigo cadets on to Port
Phillip Bay for a sea ride.
