Toowoomba turns to

NEW ANZAC: Commander Surface Combatant Group, CDRE Simon Hart, (l.) and Director General Major Surface Ships, CDRE Drew McKinnine, inspect NUSHIP Toowoomba before the official handover from Tenix.

Photo: ABPH Nina Nikolin

By Peter Johnson

The Royal Australian Navy has taken delivery of the ninth and second last Anzac Class frigate, Toowoomba, from the builder Tenix Defence at its shipyard in Melbourne.

And after a walkaround before signing the delivery certificate, Director General Major Surface Ships, CDRE Drew McKinnie, declared Toowoomba “a palace of gems.”

He added that Toowoomba was the ninth of ten in the Anzac Ship Program, and the most complete ship to be delivered to date.

“I have the greatest respect for all who contributed to this delivery,” he said. CDRE McKinnie congratulated Tenix on being ready for delivery early, but the delivery date, Friday, July 22, was later to meet the Navy’s requirements.

CDRE McKinnie also said that delivery was a great day for Toowoomba’s engineers and logisticians. “Give yourselves a pat on the back.”

He noted that Toowoomba’s logo was “Fearless,” and that a ship’s motto said a lot about her character and readiness to achieve her mission.

“We also understand the importance of readiness and personal commitment.” CDRE McKinnie said that on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia he was really pleased to take delivery of Toowoomba from Tenix Defence.

The company’s CEO, Mr Robert Salteri, officially handed Toowoomba over to the Navy during the signing ceremony in a crisp northerly wind on the frigate’s flight deck.

Mr Salteri said Toowoomba had come together by the hard work and dedication of many people. He also noted that the ship’s logo was “Fearless,” and that looking at what the Anzac Class had done in the last few years, “I am sure Toowoomba will continue in the proud tradition.”

“We believe this vessel will have a very long life, she performed well in heavy conditions in sea trials.” Toowoomba’s Commanding Officer, LCDR David McDonald, speaking in his cabin later, left no doubt about the determination of the entire ship’s company to set a high standard.

“She is probably the best Anzac ship thus far, I have to agree she is an impressive ship, and it is up to us to build its soul and character and ethos that will be there for the rest of its life,” he said.

“We will set the tone for the ship’s companies to follow.

If we do that all the other things will come naturally and we are well on our way.” LCDR McDonald also hailed delivery as a fantastic day for the ship’s company.

“Most have been working towards this since last October. For the majority of us who have arrived December through to February it has been a very busy process.” “It will be our home, and we are home-ported in WA.”

LCDR McDonald also paid tribute to the ship’s company for attacking the training tasks and the large workload.

“It is a credit to how well they have performed and risen to the occasion. The ship’s stored, and everyone’s on board, ready to hit the ground running.”

A further highlight of the delivery ceremony was Tenix Defence employee David Morse continuing his tradition of presenting a bell rope to each of the Anzac Class ships. Mr Morse, who personally knotted the bell rope, said it had taken “quite a while, but it came up fine.”

Toowoomba is due to commission in Brisbane on October 8, the state capital closest to the city after which the frigate is named, the Darling Downs City of Toowoomba, Australia’s largest inland city.

The vessel was launched at Tenix Defence’s Melbourne shipyard in May 2003, taking the same name as the World War 2 minesweeping corvette HMAS Toowoomba.

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

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