ISSUE 61 : Nov/Dec - 1986 - Australian Defence Force Journal

The RAN 75th Anniversary
By Captain D. H. Ruff in,
DBSAP.
ON 10 July 1911, His Majesty King
George V granted the title "Royal Australian
Navy" to the then Commonwealth Naval
Forces, establishing a fighting service that, in
the subsequent 75 years, has served Australia
well and faithfully in peace and war.
In 1981, a small steering committee was established
in Navy Office, to study ways and
means of celebrating the 75th Anniversary of
that historic event.
The committee decided that the Anniversary
should be celebrated throughout 1986, rather
than on just the one day, and that the general
philosophy would be to involve the Navy with
the community, emphasizing that the Service is
an integral part of Australia's life and history
as an island nation.
The old term "The Silent Service" is a realistic
one. Navies, by their nature, tend to go
about their business well out of sight of the
citizens they exist to safeguard. In the case of
the RAN, this discreet nature is heightened by
the fact that it is, predominantly, based in one
city — Sydney.
The committee floated many ideas, perhaps
the most important being the concept of a permanent
memorial to the Navy's seventy-five
years of service. The Federal Government agreed
that such a memorial was entirely appropriate,
and initial development steps were taken.
Many other ideas developed, using the themes
of community interest and involvement. Foremost
was the decision to stage a Naval Review
late in the year, with some International participation.
It also became obvious that the scale
of activities, and the detailed planning necessary,
required the establishment of a small,
dedicated cell within Navy Office. With this
development, in May 1984 full-scale planning
started. The two most important single activities
were the ceremonial dedication of the National
Naval Memorial, which Her Majesty had graciously
agreed to perform in March, and the
Naval Review, in October. Using these two
events as anchors of the programme, a plan of
activities, as widespread as possible, evolved.