A MUSICAL VOYAGE - Royal Australian Navy

- 100 –
The Band
When I was invited to speak at today’s ceremony I was asked to talk about my experiences
in the Navy Band; and I am glad to have this opportunity to tell you about the band that I
have the privilege to lead and to tell also about its role in communicating Navy’s story at
home and abroad. I hope that my story is one that also informs you that your art can take
you in many directions; paths that you may not currently envision.
For me, being a member of the Royal Australian Navy Band is doubly pleasurable; because I
have been given the rare opportunity to lead ‘one of Australia’s premier military
ensembles’, and to live my life’s passion within an organization that encourages music and
also has a proud record of service to the nation. For more than 108 years now, Navy
musicians, both individually and collectively, have been communicating their art ashore and
afloat. Despite the long and sustained period of service, I suspect that not many of you
here today know what is that the Navy band does. Let me tell you about the band and its
record of service.
Prior to and immediately after Federation, music was provided in the various state Navies
by bands formed within the structure of each group. One of the very early naval bands was
the Band of the Victorian Naval Brigade. This band deployed to China as part of the
Australian naval contingent that assisted in quelling the Boxer uprising.
These musicians were the first Australian naval musicians to see active service; and that
record of active service continued throughout World War I, World War II, the Korean War,
in Vietnam and more recently in the Rehabilitation of Iraq and in Afghanistan for the War
on Terrorism. In World War I, when Her Majesty’s Australian Ship Australia led a taskforce
that was deployed to find the German Pacific Fleet, the embarked musicians performed as
first aid orderlies. During WWII, musicians served with distinction in Her Majesty’s
Australian Ships in all theatres of war. To supplement their musical duties, they worked as
gun crews, shell bearers in magazines, in transmitting stations, as first aid parties and as
lookouts through day and night watches. Fatalities occurred; and given the fact that
cruisers were prime enemy targets, musicians were among those unfortunate sailors who
lost their lives in HMA Ships Perth, Australia, Penguin, Canberra and Sydney. Musicians also
saw action aboard the carrier HMAS Sydney III in Korean waters in 1953, and the Fleet Band
performed two concert tours of Vietnam during the early 1970's.
Currently, the Royal Australian Navy Band has positions for 106 full-time musicians and 118
part-time musicians structured within two components. The Permanent Component has two
full-time detachments and the Reserve Component comprises five part-time detachments.
Each of these detachments is positioned around the nation; so the band has a substantial
ability to reach many people and to communicate the story of the Royal Australian Navy.
Indeed, the Royal Australian Navy Band is one of the few platforms in which Navy can
communicate its message to the people of Australia; but its musicians also add significant
value to overseas deployments undertaken by major fleet units. Through ship borne
deployments, the band provides personnel who are cross-trained in a range of mariner and
non-musician specific skills. This enables its musicians to make a very meaningful
contribution to the capability of the ships that they join as well as adding value to the
Fleet’s engagement profile whilst ashore.
Of the 106 current serving permanent musicians the band has 45 members entitled to wear
the Australian Active Service Medal; 12 of whom also wear the Iraq campaign medal.
Importantly, a high percentage of its people have served at sea and the band continues to
provide a very impressive output for Navy at home and abroad.
In Australia each year, the band delivers Navy’s message, by communicating through its
music, to hundreds of thousands of Australians. Tasks range from supporting local
community groups and ex-Service associations to supporting ceremonial, public relations
and social activities for the wider naval family. The band is always present at Welcome
Home and Departure Ceremonies for ships deploying to and returning from operational
areas. It is interesting to note that in 1900, on the eve of Federation, the bluejacket New
South Wales Naval Brigade Band farewelled Australia’s Naval Expedition to the Boxer
uprising.
Royal Australian Navy Band: A Musical Voyage