PARRA-MATTERS - Royal Australian Navy

PARRA-MATTERS 

HMAS PARRAMATTA FFH154 COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER 

From the Captain’s Chair……….. 

Volume 1 

Edition 4 

SEASONS GREETINGS 

“It must be getting close to Christmas. Last night the trees and decorations went up in the messes, and 

we have just received 46 bags of mail. There is a buzz in the ship and a level of excitement….much 

like kids on Christmas night. There is a big box on my desk from the Corowa RSL containing 10 

Christmas cakes. Christmas cards have been received from all around Australia wishing us well. We 

don’t even know these people but they feel compelled to show us support. It is quite a humbling 

experience.” (Captain’s Journal, 19 December 2011). 

Santa arrives soon and whilst we remain busy on operations, it is nice that we can take time to 

remember the things that mean so much to us. Christmas deployed away from family and friends is 

never an easy thing. For you at home it is equally difficult and I want to acknowledge the sacrifice and 

commitment of our families as we continue to do our work in the Middle East. 

I have had the pleasure of Christmas deployed in the Middle East before. It is a special day where you 

can eat Christmas lunch anywhere you want with whom ever you want; we call it opening up the 

messes. There is a secret Santa that has been drawn and plans for a big Christmas luncheon which 

we will serve from the hangar courtesy of our great Cooks and everyone pitching in. We will come 

together on Christmas Eve for a concert on the flight deck where the level of talent is high but the 

nativity scene is leaving me with a little trepidation having a baby Jesus being played by one of our 

Clearance Divers. (The padre has sanctioned this so I am assured it is all above board). 

There is a lot of sharing and in its own way it is a small retreat from the grind of operations as 

everybody gets into the Christmas spirit. We will be making periods available for people to Skype and 

ring home. I would ask your patience as we indulge the satellite gods to make this occur - probably a 

little more than usual noting how many people around the planet will be ringing in at any one time. If 

we haven‟t got through, it won‟t be because we aren‟t 

trying. I would like to especially note the special efforts 

of Able Seaman Cook Keith Smith‟s sister Hannah. 

Hannah has generously gone out and bought an 

advent calendar for everybody in Parramatta. This kidn 

and generous act of selflessness highlights the support 

we have received whilst being away. From everybody 

here……thank you Hannah.

December has been a busy month for your ship. For many the port visit to Aqaba, Jordan, will be a 

highlight that they will never forget. One of the wonderful things about this profession is the opportunity 

to visit countries and experience their history, heritage and culture as well as talking with the people 

about their experiences. Jordan is a culturally deep country and the various tours to Petra, the Dead 

Sea, Christ‟s baptism site at the river Jordan, and Wadi Rum, a massive desert area with amazing 

moonlights and sandstone mountains will be something that we will never forget. Those with cameras 

took the time to provide input to the ships newsletter as you will see throughout this edition. 

The annual Fleet awards were announced recently and our Supply department, led by Lieutenant 

Commander Mark Cohayney, took out the Fleet Supply excellence awards. We also came runner up in 

the Gunnery proficiency award and overall performed well. I was honoured to award a Fleet 

Commanders commendation to our Chief Diver, Andrew Welsh for his efforts in establishing the Navy 

capability for ships to support higher level boarding operations. This is now taken for granted but a 

couple of years ago before Andrew did this, it was pie in the sky stuff. Great work all round. So without 

further ado, it is time for you to enjoy this your latest edition of Parra-Matters. 

To my wife Julie – Thank you. I love you and I wish I could be there with you. 

To my kids James, Kara and Sophie, I love you and miss you….now go to bed or Santa won’t come. 

To Mum and Dad, Merry Christmas. 

To you all. Thank you, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

A SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR US ALL FROM 

ONE PERSON AT HOME 

Able Seaman Keith Smith with one of the Advent Calendars from his sister Hannah, who 

bought every member of the ships company a calendar of their own. The calendars arrived 

during our last port visit in Jordan and were a very warmly received surprise. Merry 

Christmas to you and your family Hannah, next year you can have Keith back at the dinner 

PARRA-MATTERS - The HMAS PARRAMATTA family newsletter Edition 4 Volume 1 

table for the festive season. 

www.navy.gov.au\HMAS-Parramatta Email paul.bradley1@fleet.defence.gov.au

A Message from the Ships Lady, Mrs Jill Green 

Following the Parramatta II Service 

Many thanks indeed for your Special Edition of PARRA-MATTERS. I found it wonderful to 

read and very moving. 

Sunday, 27 November was a beautiful day in Sydney (after a couple of days of rain), and 

really appreciated by me as I made my way from Central Quay through the Harbour and 

into the Parramatta River. A little bit of serendipity: on landing at Parramatta Wharf I was 

approached by a couple from Mandurah, West Australia, who had also travelled over from 

the West for the service. I had never met Colin and Sandy Bowes before, although they 

live not far from us. Sandy's father was a survivor of HMAS Parramatta II - OS Keith 

Hayes. 

It was a lovely, but simple service, officiated by R Jardine, President of the Parramatta 

Memorial Sub Section NAA, with a welcome by the Parramatta Lord Mayor, Clr L Wearne, 

a reading by Chaplain C Acton, RAN, and an oration by Captain C Dagg, RAN, Fleet 

Headquarters. Afterwards we all went back to the RSL Club for drinks and refreshments. 

This was a wonderful time for me to make contact with other members of the Parramatta 

family and quite a few email addresses were exchanged! 

I hope you managed to use some of Frank Davidson's letter in your service, as I hope I 

indicated you were free to do so. Unfortunately, Jean Davidson was not able to attend the 

Memorial Service. She had had a fall, and was in hospital, poor darling; however, her 

daughter, Juli Groves was there and has given me Jean's address, and Juli's email 

address, if you should need it. Jean Fryer (Ted Fryer's widow) was at the service with her 

son and grandson, and looks remarkable at 90. 

Our thoughts were with you all, as no doubt yours were, with us. Their service and 

sacrifice will never be forgotten! 

Best wishes to you all 

Jill Green 



CLASSIFIEDS CORNER 

If you have a message you would like placed here….any message whatsoever, just email our Ship’s Warrant 

Officer, Warrant Officer Paul Bradley on Paul.Bradley1@fleet.defence.gov.au 

ZOO PASS 

Over the Christmas break, the Zoo Pass will held at the HMAS KUTTABUL Customer Service Centre. 

The Customer Service Centre is closed from FRI 23 DEC11 to TUE 03JAN11. 

Any bookings for that Leave Period will have to be arranged before 23 DEC 11 so that the guards at 

the Kuttabul main gate have a list to monitor for pickup/return of the pass. 

Any other concerns please contact Gary and Loretta via cc'd email or on 93593898. 

gary.harris2@defence.gov.au, loretta.saunders@defence.gov.au 

RECORDED MESSAGES FOR FAMILY MEMBERS FROM THE SHIPS COMPANY 

For those who participated, family and friends can view messages at: 

http://www.defence.gov.au/christmas/2011/messages/fromthetroops/hmasparramatta.htm 

SPECIAL THANKS TO LAURIE DYBING PRESIDENT OF THE COROWA RSL SUB-BRANCH 

To the Members of Corowa Sub-Branch, 

In our last mail drop, the Ships Company were very pleased to take custody of a large box of 

Christmas Cakes, courtesy of the Corowa Sub-Branch. Being absent from loved ones at this time of 

year, is not something that anyone ever enjoys, so it is always a great comfort to know, that we have 

such excellent support back at home. On Christmas Day HMAS Parramatta, will be at sea on patrol, 

we will have a big spread on for lunch and amongst all that food, there will be Corowa Christmas Cake. 

Merry Christmas to you all 

Go the Roos !! 

YOUR SHIPS COMPANY BIRTHDAYS FOR THE MONTH 

OF DECEMBER 

1st Able Seaman Shaun Worth 14 th Able Seaman Jake Steele 

4 th Warrant Officer Paul Bradley 18 th Able Seaman Kylie Hunter 

7 th Able Seaman Blake Franklin 20 th Leading Seaman Omran Kanaan 

Able Seaman Benjamin Monck 

22 nd Able Seaman Luke Meskell 

8 th Petty Officer Trent Shaw 

31 st Petty Officer Wayne Urand 

9 th Able Seaman Angus McMillan 



PADRE‟S PAGE - WITH CHAPLAIN ANDREW WATTERS 

G‟day once again from the MEAO and, as usual, we are „somewhere at sea”. 

Since last I wrote, we have had a wonderful port visit to Aqaba, Jordan 

I am sure that you have heard some great stories about the sites most of 

us visited whilst there. By unanimous vote, the tour to Petra stands out as 

the one we will remember most. It is really quite an experience to walk 

down through the narrow, winding Siq, treading on the remnants of 

ancient Roman paving – and then getting your first glimpse of the fabled 

“Treasury” of Petra. To stand and marvel at the wonder of how this 

masterpiece was carved out of a single piece of rock really makes a 

mockery of the „ancient=primitive/modern=sophisticated‟ mentality! 

A lot of us also toured the Dead Sea and the site of the Baptism of Jesus at 

Bethany. This tour was a long day but well worth it. For a person of 

Christian faith like me, the baptism site was not just a tourist opportunity. It was a place of pilgrimage and a 

moment to connect deeply with the history of Jesus of Nazareth. The site, which is rather spread out in what we 

Australians might call „scrub‟, also reminded me that the “holy” is often clothed in the “unspectacular”. It was 

there! 

As I write (December 16 th ), we are well into Patrol Two. It‟s very quiet out here and some days have that 

„Groundhog Day‟ feeling. Yet we remain focused on the job at hand. I personally find that structured days with 

regular tasks and commitments helps me greatly to get through days where it seems nothing is happening. 

Though, I am not sure that our Ops Room crew members would ever say there was a “quiet day with nothing 

happening”. 

Once again, thanks for all the mail that we have been receiving. Besides the letters and parcels and presents 

that you have sent your loved one, there have been some extra, special gifts. The sister of one of our cooks 

sent an Advent Calendar to every member of the crew. How about that? Thanks Hannah. It was a very special 

thing that you did. 

And as I write, the Christmas decorations are going up around the ship. They‟re in cabins and in work spaces. 

Most of the ship‟s company will be fed through the line in the galley to the sounds of Christmas carols. We are 

having a Christmas Eve concert as well as Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning church services. There‟s 

more than one “Secret Santa” arrangement in the ship and one of our Senior Sailors is looking forward to 

dressing up as the man himself! 

Whilst we are doing our best to have a good Christmas at sea, all of us would rather be home with you, our 

family and friends. For many of us – including myself – this will be our first Christmas away from family. I have 

no doubt that this will be more that a bit strange! I will be remembering Christmases past with the excitement of 

the kids ripping open presents. I will be remembering the lunches of my childhood at Grandma‟s place and more 

recently at my Mum‟s and in my own home. I will think of my family gathering at my sister‟s place in western 

Sydney. So many treasured memories! 

And I will be remembering Christmas church services with the joyful singing those great hymns like “Hark, the 

herald angels sing!”, “Joy to the world!” and “O little town of Bethlehem”. A lot of people like to talk about the 

“magic” of Christmas. I believe it is more accurate to reflect on the mystery of the “God-with-us-in-human-life” 

who brings us adults an “Adult Christ” at Christmas. Magic-talk is the pleasant pretend-world of kids we briefly 

escape into before getting back to the “real‟ business of life. Mystery-talk is the real language of Christmas: the 

word about God‟s coming to share our lives in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Christmas was never meant to 

distract us from the business of life. It is the good news that God graces and blesses the whole of our lives with 

his life! 

I wish you and your families a holy and blessed Christmas. 

Andrew (the Padre) 



Parra-Kids Corner 

The hippopotamus from the ancient Greek for "river horse", is a large, mostly herbivorous 

mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and after the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is 

the third largest land mammal. The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes 

and mangrove swamps where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of 5 

to 30 females and young. During the day they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; 

reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grass. 

While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and 

hippos are not territorial on land. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it can easily outrun 

a human. Hippos have been clocked at 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances. The 

hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as 

one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. There are an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 

hippos throughout Sub-Saharan Africa; Zambia (40,000) and Tanzania (20,000–30,000) 

possess the largest populations. They are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for 

their meat and ivory canine teeth. 



Parra People Presentations and Patches 

Clockwise - Top Left - There were plenty of presentations for the Commanding Officer 

to make prior to departure from Aqaba - Award of Marine System Technician 

qualification for Matthew Badrock, Bryce Leslie, Joel Heit and Peter Hochegger were 

the first of many. 



Clockwise - Top Left - Award of Marine System Controller for Steven McDonald, Leigh 

Whiffin and David Searle and for Shane Robson the award of Marine System Manager 

qualification, capping off a long period of training for our stokers, with more to come 

before getting home to Sydney. 



Clockwise - Top Left - It has chased him around for about 12 years, but in Aqaba, Lieutenant 

Commander Bill Veale finally received his commission. Petty Officer Bosun Matt Holohan 

received his Defence Long Service Medal. And it was a Parramatta Cap and Patched by the 

Commanding Officer for the latest members of the crew, Seaman Belinda Porter and Able 

Seaman Bart Grzegorczyk 



POST CARDS FROM JORDAN 

Having departed Bahrain about 5 weeks 

prior, the attention of the Ships Company 

turned to a place called Aqaba, a small city in 

Jordan. Sailing to the top of the Gulf of 

Aqaba, one of the first things you realise, is 

that you can do something quite out of the 

ordinary before the ship even makes the 

wharf; you can see four countries all at once. 

Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia all 

border this part of the world and as we would 

find out later; when visiting the River Jordan, 

one finds themselves about 20 metres away 

from Israeli territory. Six days in Jordan 

meant the chance to head out and take some 

downtime having a few nights at one of the 

resorts, which were just down the road. An 

opportunity to visit some of the most historic 

places on the planet - River Jordan, Dead 

Sea and of course, the highlight for most was 

a visit to Petra; a scene from a movie, but 

after walking through the canyon, it was quite 

obvious that Petra was considerably more 

than that. 

River Jordan, the Israeli side from Jordan 

The Dead Sea, duck diving not possible……. 

Movenpick Resort, Tala Bay, Aqaba 

The Treasury, at Petra 

Into the valley and the ruins of Petra

PARRA-MATTERS - Royal Australian Navy

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