|
|
|
|
 |
||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||
| Apprentices masters of their craft Edition 5008, 17 May, 2007 |
|||||||||||||
It is the yacht Nirimba, a 42 ft steel sloop built entirely by Naval Artificer Apprentices of the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment (RANATE) in the mid-sixties. The former RAN yacht is now secured as a living tribute, acknowledging those apprentices who passed through the gates of HMAS Nirimba in Quakers Hill, NSW. In the early 1960s, construction began on the 42 foot steel yacht as a training exercise for the Naval Shipwright Apprentices, as well as electrical, engineering, boiler makers, welding, and Aircraft and Gunnery apprentices. Practicing their diverse trade skills, they eventually created the RAN yacht Nirimba, launched to much fanfare and publicity at Garden Island Naval Dockyard on November 5, 1966. Throughout construction, she was only ever known to all who worked on her as “The MOBI”, a supposedly derogative acronym used to label all early RANATE trained Naval Artificer Apprentices, which stood for Most Objectionable Bastards Imaginable, a tag they all wore with great pride. When time came to launch her, it was felt that Nirimba would be a better name than trying to explain the meaning of MOBI. Nirimba proudly served the RAN for many years as a sail training vessel for many RAN personnel until the Navy sold the yacht in 1983. Recent history of the yacht was somewhat sketchy until six years ago, when Dirk Hunter found Nirimba rusting away in a sandblasting yard in Sydney and, on recognizing her distinctive design, began researching the yatch’s history. Discovering a unique RAN pedigree, Dirk bought Nirimba and decided to restore her as a heritage yacht. After completing the restoration, family commitments forced Dirk to put Nirimba on the market for the sum of $155,000.00 which was basically what was outlaid for the purchase and restoration. In August 2005, the ex-Naval Apprentice community decided to buy back their yacht. The non-profit MOBI Yacht Nirimba Association Inc was formed and an appeal launched for funds. The owner of Nirimba agreed to withdraw it from sale for 90 days to give the association time to raise the necessary funds and $100,000 was raised by the time the 90 days was about to expire. Impressed with their efforts, Dirk agreed to finance the association for the remaining $55,000. The yacht was transported from the Gold Coast to Newcastle, then sailed back to the RAN Sailing Association in Rushcutters Bay, NSW. In January 2007 the MOBI association secured the sponsorship of Australian Business Limited Apprenticeship Centre, who agreed to sponsor the yacht for the next five years. While this didn’t eliminate all the liabilities of the association, it enabled the association to complete its obligations to the previous owner, thereby finally securing ownership of the yacht. The MOBI Yacht Nirimba Association Inc relies totally on the support of generous donors to help the association to retain, maintain and preserve Nirimba as a unique piece of functional naval heritage. For further information please contact the president of the association, Rick Pengilly on (0404) 191 134, or e-mail on roman27@tpg.com.au. Or visit the website http://www.mobi-yacht-nirimba.org | |||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
Aussie’s RN award
The award was presented by the RN’s Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral A.J. Johns, and WWI veteran Mr Henry Allingham. Mr Allingham was a member of the first Fleet Air Arm and joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1915 as a 19 year old. He is the sole surviving member from the Battle of Jutland in 1916. | |||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
| HMAS Wort sponsored by ADCU
| |||||||||||||
Dikko
by Bob Dikkenburg 
| |||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||
| QUICK QUIZ
1: When Australia was criticised by US President Woodrow Wilson at the Versailles Peace Conference as having unreasonable demands for a small country of only 5 million, he was met with the reply: “I represent 60,000 dead.” Who was the speaker? 2: Where was Henry Lawson born? 3: Which Australian wicketkeeper was once derisively referred to as “iron gloves”? ANSWERS 1: Prime Minister Billy Hughes 2: Grenfell, NSW 3: Rod Marsh |
