By Andrew Stackpool
Volume 48, No. 19, October 19, 2006
HOBART has recognised one of its own.
Australia’s southern-most capital city granted No 29 (City of Hobart) Squadron the Freedom of Entry to the City of Hobart on September 16.
Granting Freedom of Entry is the highest civic honour a city can give to a military unit, and Hobart has granted it to only three other units; the former destroyer HMAS Hobart, the RANR’s Hobart port division and the 40th Rifle Company of the Royal Tasmanian Regiment.
Coinciding with the city’s Battle of Britain commemorative activities, the ceremony comprised two parts. The first was the formal parade by 29SQN, in which the honour was conferred and the squadron received the official scroll conferring the honour. The squadron then exercised its right by a march through the streets of Hobart, followed by a civic
reception.
The Air Force division of the Federation Guard, Central Band, 1AFDS from RAAF Base Edinburgh, and members from Air Force cadet units across Tasmania supported 29SQN, while two 79SQN Hawk fighters from RAAF Base Pearce performed a flypast at the start of the parade.
CAF AIRMSHL Geoff Shepherd and the Hon William Cox, Governor of Tasmania and Honorary AIRCDRE of 29SQN, were among the official guests.
AIRMSHL Shepherd presented a number of Iraq medals during the ceremony.
“In this day and age, it’s quite rare for a city council to bestow the honour,” the Lord Mayor of Hobart, Alderman Valentine said.
“The right [by 29SQN] to exercise its Freedom of Entry is a demonstration of the friendship, trust and confidence that exists between Hobart and its military.”
“Air Force has maintained a relationship with Tasmania since WWII when Western Junction was used as the location for the Elementary Flying Training Unit and Brighton was home to a Basic Training Unit,” 29SQN CO WGCDR Charles Hill said.
“This ceremony is a special recognition [for the squadron].”
The first Air Force unit to use the name ‘Hobart’ wasn’t formed until 1955 when RAAF Headquarters Hobart was established; it became the RAAF Support Unit Hobart in 1975. The unit closed in 1992, but an Air Force presence continued in the form of the Senior Air Force Officer, Tasmania, with a small staff.
In 1998, Defence discovered that Tasmania did not have a Reserve squadron, thereby decreasing the opportunities for the islanders to serve on the Active Reserve. To redress this shortcoming, on September 1, 2001, 29SQN stood up to provide Air Force with a pool of expertise to support the organisation’s surge and warfighting
capabilities.
