HMAS Stalwart (D 215)

The second HMAS "Stalwart" (A 215/D 215) was an Australian-designed and constructed Escort Maintenance ship commissioned on 9 February 1968 and decommissioned on 9 March 1990. During her career, "Stalwart" served in the Royal Australian Navy as a destroyer tender, the RAN flagship, and a training vessel.

Construction

"Stalwart" was laid down by the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering Company Limited in Sydney on 23 June 1964.cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Stalwart_%28II%29 |title=HMAS Stalwart II |accessdate=2008-09-15 |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia] She was launched on 7 October 1966 by Lady Casey, wife of Governor-General Richard Casey, and commissioned on 9 February 1968.

At 15,500 tons, 500 tons over design, "Stalwart" was the largest Australian-designed and constructed naval vessel.

Operational history

"Stalwart" served as a destroyer tender, the RAN flagship, and a training vessel throughout her career.

"Stalwart" commenced duty in March 1968. She was involved in the relief effort following Cyclone Tracy in 1974, the independence of Papua New Guinea in 1975, disaster relief in the Solomon Islands in June 1986, and hosted a meeting of the Cabinet of Australia in September 1986. She took part in precautionary deployments to Fiji and Vanuatu during 1987 and 1988.

On 8 September 1980, "Stalwart" joined five other RAN vessels to form the Australia Squadron.cite book |last=Lind |first=Lew |title=The Royal Australian Navy - Historic Naval Events Year by Year |origyear=1982 |edition=2nd ed. |year=1986 |publisher=Reed Books |location=Frenchs Forest, NSW |pages=p. 297 |isbn=0730100715 |oclc=16922225] The Squadron, which included HMA Ships "Melbourne", "Perth", "Derwent", "Supply", and "Otama" spent two months in the Indian Ocean as part of a flag-showing cruise; the largest RAN deployment since World War II.

Post-RAN career

HMAS "Stalwart" paid off on 9 March 1990, and was sold in May 1990 to Marlines S.A., a Greek shipping company, that renamed her MV "Her Majesty M" intending to convert it to a passenger ferry. She lay in Eleusis near Athens, Greece until 1999, when it was renamed MV "Tara II" and had some conversion and use.

Fate

She was scrapped at Alang in Gujarat, India in 2003.

References