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- 29 May 2003
Hmas Wagga
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Page: 1523
Mr MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga) [4.43 p.m.]: On 26 April I attended the biannual reunion of the HMAS Wagga Association. HMAS Wagga was the longest-serving Corvette in the Australian Navy. The Australian Corvette, Bathurst class, HMAS Wagga was launched on 25 July 1942 at Garden Island. She was built by Morts Dock and Engineering Company in Sydney. She measured 189 feet by 32 feet and weighed 650 tons. She could travel at a maximum of 15.5 knots and carried one four-inch gun and one 40-millimetre gun in her armament. The HMAS Wagga was commissioned on 18 December 1942 and began her long and distinguished service in the Royal Australian Navy. HMAS Wagga began her seagoing career in January 1943, escorting ships along the east coast of Australia. Escort vessels were desperately required in the early days of World War II to protect merchant ships along the many thousands of miles of commercial sea lanes.
Corvettes had many duties aside from escorting, including minesweeping, troop carrying, submarine hunting, and bombardment. HMAS Wagga extended her escort duties to New Guinea forward areas and continued its duties throughout 1943. On 14 April at Milne Bay while under the command of Lieutenant Cracknell HMAS Wagga came under heavy attack from Japanese dive-bombers. On the same day she went to the assistance of the Dutch steamer Van Heemskerk, which was on fire after being hit by several bombs. HMAS Wagga made an heroic effort to save the steamer, going alongside and putting nine hoses and a fire party on board. But, alas, the extent of the fire was too great. HMAS Wagga rescued the survivors minutes before the fire reached drums of petrol, which blew up the ship. Miraculously, HMAS Wagga sustained only superficial damage.
By 1944 HMAS Wagga was constantly employed in the New Guinea area on escorts, antisubmarine patrols, troop carrying, and supporting the land forces by bombarding selected targets. In 1945 she visited Darwin en route from that port to Morotai on the last day of the Pacific war. In the immediate post-war period HMAS Wagga proceeded to the Far East and was based in Hong Kong. At the end of October 1945 she returned to Sydney. On 28 November 1945 in Melbourne HMAS Wagga was paid off into the reserve fleet after steaming 105,000 miles on war service. HMAS Wagga was recommissioned on 12 December 1951 as a training ship, and in the following six years she steamed more than 78,000 miles on training cruises, exercises, northern patrol duties, and oceanic surveys. On 25 October 1957 she was paid off into the reserve in Sydney. In October 1958 HMAS Wagga returned to service as a training ship for the Royal Australian Navy Reservists and Cadets. She was finally paid off on 28 October 1960, having steamed some 190,000 miles. She was the longest-commissioned Corvette in the Australian Navy, having served for almost 20 years.
I draw honourable members' attention to the proud history of service by HMAS Wagga to the Australian community, and particularly to the city of Wagga Wagga, after which it was named. Retired officers and sailors who served on HMAS Wagga are attempting to have a ship named in honour of our city and the original HMAS Wagga. I met Lofty Rackemann and others at the reunion that I attended with the mayor of Wagga Wagga and the Federal member for Riverina. It was a most enjoyable occasion. We have taken up a petition to generate community support and encourage the Federal Government to name another ship HMAS Wagga to reflect our respect for the brave men who served on the original HMAS Wagga during the war and brought so much pride to the city of Wagga Wagga.
I ask honourable members to support our call for a new patrol boat to be named in honour of HMAS Wagga. I was extremely proud to meet the surviving sailors and the wives and partners of those sailors who have passed on. There could be no more fitting tribute to them than for the Federal Government—I know the Federal member for Riverina, Kay Hull, is also pressing this issue—to give the name HMAS Wagga to one of the several new ships due to be launched in the coming months. I hope that will happen soon, as the surviving sailors from HMAS Wagga are getting older and fewer of them attend each reunion. I would like them to see a ship named after the great HMAS Wagga.
Miss BURTON (Kogarah—Parliamentary Secretary) [4.48 p.m.]: I thank the honourable member for Wagga Wagga for his contribution, and particularly for his comments about the heroic efforts in battle of HMAS Wagga. I also hope that the Federal Government will consider naming a new ship after HMAS Wagga. I am the granddaughter of a returned soldier, so I am familiar with the camaraderie that exists among soldiers and sailors who served together. I can also appreciate the community's attachment to HMAS Wagga. I pay tribute to all those in the Royal Australian Navy. I also hope the Federal Government will seriously consider naming one of their new fleet HMAS Wagga.
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