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A Victorian town has been named the ceremonial homeport for the Bay Class vessel.
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The Victorian town of Mallacoota has been assigned as the ceremonial homeport for HMAS Choules, which helped transport 1,305 residents and holidaymakers to safety as part of Operation Bushfire Assist during the 2019 bushfire crisis.
To mark the occasion, the crew of HMAS Choules watched over a ceremony attended by Minister for Defence Personnel Darren Chester, the then-Commanding Officer of Choules, Captain Scott Houlihan, and mayor Mendy Urie.
“Mallacoota was one of the hardest hit areas during the bushfires with images of the devastation circulating around the world, and it was our Navy personnel from the Choules who helped hundreds of locals and visitors in their time of need,” Minister Chester said.
“This announcement, held on the shores where the evacuation took place, is significant for the people of Mallacoota and for the crew of the Choules, and represents an important symbol of the bushfires.
“The ceremonial homeport is a significant connection for any Navy ship, bonding the ship and crew to a community for the life of service, and ensuring the friendships developed during a time of devastation continue.”
Minister Chester recalled Choules’ successful evacuation from Mallacoota, which was also supported by MV Sycamore.
“The ship also delivered fuel, medical supplies and food to the Mallacoota community and became a pivotal part of the lifesaving operations conducted by the joint emergency services during that time,” he said.
“It is significant that there are still personnel serving in Choules who were part of those operations and are honoured to see this relationship officially established.”
The ship’s crew are expected to return to Mallacoota in November.
[Related: HMAS Choules to transport emergency services vehicles to PNG]
