4 August 2025
Known affectionately as stokers, after the old days of stoking coal-fired boilers and steam engines, the 44 people who make up the Marine Engineering Department on board HMAS Sydney are in charge of everything that brings the ship to life.
At the head of the department is Lieutenant Commander James Stahlhut, who likes to explain his job as "basically supporting a small town", as his team maintains the electricity, air-conditioning, sewerage and fresh water needed for life at sea.
“There’s no point having weapon systems if the ship can’t move or have power to operate them, that’s where we come in,” Lieutenant Commander Stahlhut said.
He’s no stranger to jobs under pressure. His past roles have included ballasting officer on a Landing Helicopter Dock, in control of filling ballast tanks and flooding the well dock to support amphibious operations.
"At the click of a button using our Integrated Platform Management System, I was in charge of pumping more than five million litres of seawater into the ship, while keeping it stable,” Lieutenant Commander Stahlhut said.
The marine engineering officer sees everyday as a new challenge for his team, which comprises about 20 per cent of the ship’s company.
“It’s like solving puzzles when we do all these things to support habitability and propulsion on board while in a confined, moving platform that’s working in operational environments,” he said.
For the engineers, their days are split between watchkeeping, rounds, planned and unplanned breakdown maintenance, and whole-ship activities.
'As Navy engineers, we get to deploy with the systems we’re responsible for, and see our decisions have a real impact to the operational effectiveness and safety of everyone in this 7000-tonne warship.'
Able Seaman Josip Jurcic spent a decade in the civilian construction industry before joining Defence in 2023.
He enjoys the varying routine on board the ship, including the extra duties the department holds such as running the incinerator and the commercial laundry machines for the crew’s maritime multi-cam patterns uniforms.
“It keeps things interesting when we change routines during transits between ports, which means if you’re on watchkeeping then you’re usually off the laundry roster for that time,” Able Seaman Jurcic said.
Not every day is full of work. While on deployment this year, Lieutenant Commander Stahlhut was able to fly his wife and son to visit him in Japan and enjoy Disneyland together.
Back on board, the HOD (or Head of Department) admits that, though he can’t escape the admin work that awaits him, his favourite part of the job is away from the computer screen and instead working with his team.
“There’s always a cool feeling when you’re in an engine room, listening to a gas turbine spool up to full speed; it’s a pinch-yourself moment to remember your work matters,” Lieutenant Commander Stahlhut said.
“As Navy engineers, we get to deploy with the systems we’re responsible for, and see our decisions have a real impact to the operational effectiveness and safety of everyone in this 7000-tonne warship.”
Sydney is finishing up a regional presence deployment, after participating in regional exercises and engagements with international partners.
So far, the crew have had the opportunity to work with personnel from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
When the ship is back at Fleet Base East, the department will be in charge of dry-docking the ship, while also upskilling people and getting some well-deserved rest and recuperation.
