Last stop as Rankin goes
HMAS Rankin recently completed a long tour of duty with a freedom of entry march into its home city of Cobar, NSW. Graham Davis captured the spirit of this colourful occasion.

HMAS Rankin, Freedom of Entry March
(MPEG Video 11.33 MB)

Cobar’s Mayor Werner Muhlethhaler lays a wreath at the cenotaph.

Picture taken by ABPH Brenton Freind

In the outback mining town of Cobar, the scene was set for the arrival of the men and women of HMAS Rankin, as they came over the rise on the Barrier Highway.

To their right was an ancient headstand and to their left a tailings heap and a long closed off open-cut copper, lead and zinc mine.

The sailors were crossing the portals of the town, which is 700km north-west of Sydney.

The 40 officers and sailors from Rankin led by their Commanding Officer, LCDR Steve Hussey, were soon to be given Freedom of Entry and the keys to the city of this important and historic town. They were coming home.

But why Cobar, a centre hundreds of kilometres from the sea?

In a speech later that day CDRE Kevin Taylor, of the Operational Support Group based at MHQ, explained why.

He said traditionally RAN ships were named after cities and towns of Australia, or major battles such as the naming of Tobruk. “There was a break in tradition when it came to the naming of the six Collins Class submarines,” he said.

They were to be named after outstanding RAN heroes of yesteryear. Submarine number 6 was to be named HMAS Rankin.

“In 1907 Robert Oscar Rankin was born in Cobar,” CDRE Taylor explained.

“In 1925 he graduated from the Naval College as an officer.”

During WWII, while in command of the sloop HMAS Yarra, he and his ship’s company put up a valiant fight to protect an Allied convoy from Japanese attack in the Java Sea.

The ship and most of her ship’s company were lost. Rankin was acclaimed for his actions, CDRE Taylor said.

Three years ago the people of Cobar, supported by the Yarra Association and led by its president Frank Glover (one of only two Yarra sailors alive today), explored the possibility of forging links between the town and HMAS Rankin.

It was agreed to offer the submarine the Freedom of Entry and keys to the city.

A local committee was formed and it was decided that September 21, the International Day of Peace, should be the day that Rankin enter the town, with swords drawn, flags flying, bayonets fixed and drums beating.

For Cobar it was to be a big day and the culmination of a busy week. Earlier a convention of fourwheel- drive enthusiasts had been held, an important mine rescue competition completed and on the same day 60 educators had arrived in town for an indigenous education conference.

The town’s shops had been asked to close between 11am and lpm and the five schools invited to allow their 800 students to line the highway.

At 11am, Rankin’s Executive Officer LCDR Matt Buckley and the Chief of the Boat CPO Jason Bartlett led the 40 men and women, well turned out in their winter rig, and the 20-member detachment of the RAN Band out of a truck rest stop on the eastern side of the town.

Outside the town’s heritage centre LCDR Buckley halted the marchers, turned them towards the kerb and invited the Mayor of Cobar, CLR Werner Muhlethhaler, to inspect his officers and sailors.

The Mayor then presented a glazed certificate authorising the Freedom of Entry to his town. The Commanding Officer, LCDR Hussey then took the lead, and turning his ship’s company and the band, moved downhill.

There was an obstruction. Police Commander, SUPT Ron Mason stood centre road with his hand in a “halt” position.

“Who goes here?” he demanded.

The submarine’s spokesman identified the group, said it had permission to enter and showed the certificate to SUPT Mason, the Mayor and the general manager of the council, Steve Wall to read and confirm.

The ship’s company then proceeded through the city of Cobar to the delight of the crowd.

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