HMAS SIRIUS visits Norfolk Island November 2021

This week has been a hive of activities around Norfolk Island with the special visit of the Australian Navy fuel vessel, the HMAS Sirius. The ship arrived at the beginning of the week, Monday 8^th November and anchored at Cascade Bay. The Norfolk Island transfer vessel named Wunna was used to ferry the crew to shore, and this was a very special visit as Norfolk Island is only one of a couple of places the crew could disembark due to covid restrictions during the past 20 months.

I enjoyed attending the Kingston March on Monday evening, photographing the navy crew as they marched from the Kingston Cenotaph to Government House where a special welcome event was held for the HMAS Sirius ships’ company. Remembrance Day was an extremely special event, it was wonderful to see the crew in full navy dress uniform on parade along with local return servicemen and family representatives.

Looking back at my articles I have written, the last recorded visit of the HMAS Sirius was March 2016, so it was exciting that the vessel was able to visit Norfolk Island one final time before the decommissioning next month. It was very special for the HMAS Sirius to visit Norfolk Island as the ship is named after the flag ship of the First Fleet HMS Sirius, which founded and was wrecked on the reef at Kingston on 19^th March 1790. The HMAS Sirius has flown the Norfolk Island flag with pride since it was commissioned in 2006.

The HMAS Sirius is Australian Navy fuel ship, and the vessel has sailed thousands of kilometres and distributed millions of litres of fuel during its travels across the oceans. The ship is due to be decommissioned on 18th December 2021, so this will be the final visit as an Australian Military vessel.

Thank you to the members of the Norfolk Island Branch of RSL and community members for welcoming and crew of the HMAS Sirius. Thank you, Commander Christopher Doherty RAN for organising this very special visit and to all of the crew. I am sure your busy photographer captured thousands of photographs, and I am pleased I was also able to record this historic final visit of the HMAS Sirius.

During the week I also saw the crew enjoying swims at Emily Bay and exploring areas of Norfolk Island. I have taken many photographs of the events and of the visiting HMAS Sirius crew and these photos can be viewed on my Facebook page, Norfolk Island photos.

https://www.facebook.com/NorfolkIslandPhotos

On Thursday afternoon the HMAS Sirius departed Norfolk Island on its voyage to Western Australia. We wish you all a safe voyage across the Tasman Sea and hope the crew are able to visit again.

God Speed and Smooth Sailing on your final voyage of Her Majesties Australian Ship HMAS Sirius.

Betty Matthews

November 2021