Aus: Navy ship farewelled

WARRNAMBOOL'S Royal Australian Navy namesake has completed its final journey, leaving the city unrepresented on the high seas.

The HMAS Warrnambool sailed into Darwin on Friday and will be officially decommissioned at the end of the month before being dismantled and used for spare parts.

A navy spokesman said Warrnambool was on a list to be considered for future ship names.

The Fremantle-class patrol boat HMAS Warrnambool came into service on March 14, 1981 and primarily served in the Civil Surveillance Program around the Australian mainland.

In 2003, Defence Minister Robert Hill announced a new fleet of aluminium patrol boats would be built and named after Australian cities and towns with close links with navy heritage.

HMAS Warrnambool will be the third Fremantle-class patrol boat to be decommissioned, after the HMAS Cessnock and HMAS Whyalla.

Source