This event calendar has been designed to tabulate significant events in the lives of PERTH(1), PERTH(2) and PERTH(3). It is continually under construction and will be added to regularly. If you know of any significant events that should probably be included here, please complete the addition form with all details and submit the form. It will be sent to the webmaster for approval and checking before being added to this list. Click HERE to go to the addition form.
| DATE | YEAR | EVENT |
| JANUARY | ||
| 8th | 1987 | CMDR Ian WHITEHOUSE takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 9th | 1970 | CAPT Ian BURNSIDE takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 14th | 1986 | CAPT Leonard SULMAN takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 16th | 1941 | PERTH(1) and a number of other ships came under a bombing attack by Stuka 87 bombers at Malta. PERTH had a near miss, sustaining some damage to her stern and internal damage to her propulsion shafts. A bomb had hit the concrete wharf and exploded close to PERTH's stern. |
| 16th | 1995 | CAPT Geoff SMITH AM takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 29th | 1980 | CAPT Adrian CUMMINS AM takes command of PERTH(2) |
| FEBRUARY | ||
| 5th | 1973 | PERTH(2) sailed from Sydney in company with DERWENT and SUPPLY, under the command of CAPT Robert PERCY, for the 1973 Indian Ocean cruise. The ships visited Melbourne (DERWENT), Adelaide (SUPPLY), Albany and Geraldton (PERTH) and finally Fremantle before visiting Port Louis (Mauritius), Mombasa, Massawa (Ethiopia), Bandar Abbas (Iran), Karachi, Bombay (now Mumbai), Colombo, Medan (Indonesia), Singapore, Jakarta, Darwin, Townsville and finally home to Sydney, arriving 14 May. |
| 7th | 1941 | The Prime Minister, Mr R G Menzies, inspected PERTH(1) at Alexandria, Egypt |
| 9th | 1941 | PERTH(1) drydocked at Alexandria, Greece, for repairs after the bombing at Malta. She remained in drydock until 20 Feb. |
| 9th | 1974 | CAPT Peter HUTSON takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 15th | 1992 | CAPT Geoffrey WALPOLE takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 28th | 1942 | PERTH(1) sunk in Sunda Strait by Japanese torpedoes, along with USS HOUSTON. CO at that time was CAPT Hec Waller, who went down with his ship. PERTH(1) was actually sunk at about ten minutes to midnight on 28 February, local (Sunda Strait) time, which evaluates to 1 March Australian time, hence the common references to the two different dates. |
| MARCH | ||
| 1st | 1967 | The Australian White Ensign was hoisted in all ships and establishments of the RAN. The British White Ensign had been used by the RAN since 1913. |
| 13th | 1983 | CMDR Ian PFENNINGWERTH takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 20th | 2004 | NUSHIP PERTH launched by Ms Margaret Gee at Williamstown in front of an audience consisting of Perth Association members including ex-crew of both PERTH(1) and Perth(2) as well as general public |
| APRIL | ||
| 8th | 1971 | PERTH(2) returned to home port Sydney after her third and final Vietnam deployment |
| 10th | 1968 | PERTH(2) returned to home port Sydney after her first Vietnam deployment |
| 14th | 1998 | CAPT Lou RAGO takes command of PERTH(2). CAPT Rago is the last CO of PERTH(2) and remains in command until the decommissioning on 15 October 1999 |
| 15th | 1968 | CAPT David LEACH takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 20th | 1969 | PERTH(2) returned to home port Sydney after her second Vietnam deployment |
| 25th | 1999 | PERTH(2), in company with ARUNTA was berthed at Saigon (Vietnam) for Anzac Day. PERTH was under the command of CAPT Lou RAGO at the time and Chief of Navy, VADM Chris RITCHIE was also present. This was the first time that PERTH had been in Vietnamese waters since the Vietnam war. |
| MAY | ||
| 15th | 1976 | CAPT Eric JOHNSTON AM OBE takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 29th | 1973 | CAPT Ian NICHOLSON takes command of PERTH(2) |
| JUNE | ||
| 1st | 1989 | CAPT Chris OXENBOULD takes command of PERTHY(2) |
| 2nd | 1969 | CMDR David THOMPSON takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 6th | 1940 | CAPT Sir Phillip BOWYER-SMITH RN takes command of PERTH(1) |
| 6th | 2007 | CMDR Michele MILLER RAN takes command of PERTH(3) |
| 7th | 1993 | CAPT Russ SHALDERS CSC takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 15th | 1936 | HMS AMPHION commissioned at Portsmouth |
| 26th | 1933 | HMS AMPHION (later PERTH I) keel laid |
| 28th | 1941 | PERTH(1) and RN ships bombarded Damur, Syria. PERTH destroyed an enemy gun battery and a wireless station. |
| 29th | 1939 | CAPT Harold FARNCOMB MVO takes command of Australia's newest Cruiser, PERTH(1) as she is commissioned |
| JULY | ||
| 8th | 1991 | PERTH(2) rescued the pilot of a Singapore Air Force F-16 aircraft which had crashed into the sea after a mid-air collision. |
| 11th | 1966 | CAPT Peter DOYLE takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 14th | 1990 | Silver Anniversary Ball held at Revesby Workers Club, Sydney. This Ball was part of the inaugural Association reunion for the 25th Anniversary of PERTH II. |
| 14th | 1997 | PERTH(2) departed Sydney on her Asia deployment under the command of CAPT Brian ROBERTSON. She called in at Cairns, Darwin, Manila Quindao (China), Chin Hae (South Korea), Sattahip/Pattaya, Singapore, Jakarta and Mackay before returning to Sydney on 23 October. This was the first time in 11 years that a ship of the RAN had visited China. |
| 14th | 2005 | 40th anniversary of PERTH(2) commissioning reunion at Hervey Bay QLD |
| 15th | 1995 | Association reunion at Brisbane for the 30th Anniversary of PERTH(2) commissioning |
| 17th | 1965 | PERTH(2) commissioned at Boston Mass USA under the command of CAPT Ian CARTWRIGHT |
| 17th | 1996 | CAPT Brian ROBERTSON takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 21st | 1969 | PERTH(2) awarded the US Navy Unit Commendation for her exceptionally meritorious service in Vietnam under the command of CAPT Peter H DOYLE from 9 September 1967 to 5 April 1968. The award was presented in Hyde Park, Sydney at the same time as Neil Armstrong was stepping on to the moon. |
| 24th | 1970 | PERTH(2) was awarded the US Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation for her meritorious service in Vietnam under the command of CAPT David W LEACH from 24 September 1968 to March 1969. |
| 24th | 2003 | NUSHIP PERTH keel laid at Williamstown in front of guests including a number of Association members |
| 26th | 1934 | PERTH(1) (as HMS AMPHION) launched by the Marchioness of Titchfield |
| 31st | 1989 | The first Association issue of PUNDIT was produced with Vicky CIEMCIOCH as Secretary/Editor. Joe CIEMCIOCH was the Association President at that time. |
| AUGUST | ||
| 17th | 1994 | CMDR Antony LADOMIRSKI takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 18th | 1980 | PERTH(2) sailed from Sydney under the command of CAPT Adrian CUMMINS on her 1980 Indian Ocean deployment calling into Fremantle, Singapore, Penang, Madras, Colombo, then back to Singapore, Surabaya, Melbourne and finally home to Sydney on 12 December |
| 26th | 2006 | PERTH(3) commissioned at Fremantle WA under the command of CMDR Simon Gregg CSC RAN. Commissioning lady was Ms Margaret Gee. The Commissioning ceremony was in front of a large audience consisting of Association Members from both PERTH(1) and PERTH(2) as well as members of the public. This was followed by a Reception in the Fremantle International Terminal hosted by the ship. |
| SEPTEMBER | ||
| 1st | 1941 | CMDR Charles REID takes command of PERTH(1) |
| 2nd | 1967 | PERTH(2) sailed from Sydney on her first deployment to Vietnam under the command of CAPT Peter H Doyle |
| 14th | 1970 | PERTH(2) sailed from Sydney on her third and final Vietnam deployment under the command of CAPT Ian M Burnside |
| 19th | 1968 | PERTH(2) sailed from Sydney on her second deployment to Vietnam under the command of CAPT David W Leach |
| 21st | 1962 | PERTH(2) keel laid at Defoe shipyards, Bay City Michigan, USA |
| 27th | 1982 | LCDR Jim PARSONS takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 28th | 1963 | PERTH(2) launched at Bay City Michigan, USA. Launching lady was Lady Beale, wife of the then Australian ambassador to the US |
| 28th | 1990 | CMDR Philip PURNELL-WEBB takes command of PERTH(2) |
| OCTOBER | ||
| 2nd | 1999 | Association decommissioning reunion - held at Burwood RSL Club, Sydney |
| 3rd | 1987 | The Vietnam Veterans' 'Welcome Home March' was held in Sydney. This march was possibly the first mass gathering of PERTH II Vietnam Veterans since the end of the war and was also the very beginnings of our HMAS Perth National Association. |
| 15th | 1999 | PERTH(2) decommissioned at Fleet Base East, Sydney. CO at this time was CAPT Louis J Rago |
| 18th | 1967 | PERTH(2) hit by enemy fire off Cap Lay, Tonkin Gulf. She was the first Australian ship to be hit by enemy fire since HMAS MURCHISON was hit in the Korean conflict, 25 years earlier |
| 18th | 2009 | PERTH (2) Jackstaff dedicated during the RAAF Open Day at Wagga. The Jackstaff is mounted outside the Base Chapel and is on permanent loan to the RAAF from the CERBERUS Museum. The dedication was attended by a number of Association members and their families. |
| 22nd | 1990 | CAPT Tim COX AM takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 24th | 1941 | CAPT Hec WALLER DSO takes command of PERTH(1). CAPT Waller has command of the ship until the sinking on 1 March 1942 when he went down with his ship |
| NOVEMBER | ||
| 7th | 2005 | CMDR Simon GREGG CSC takes posting as CO designate on NUSHIP PERTH |
| 9th | 1982 | CMDR Don CHALMERS takes command of PERTH(2) once again after a brief time away |
| 14th | 1971 | LCDR Michael FREEMAN takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 18th | 1981 | CMDR Don CHALMERS takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 21st | 2008 | CMDR Heath ROBERTSON RAN takes command of PERTH(3) from CMDR Michele MILLER RAN |
| 24th | 2001 | PERTH(2) sunk as a diving wreck in Princess Royal Harbour, Albany WA. The plunger was depressed by Arthur Bancroft, ex-PERTH(1) and POW |
| 27th | 1966 | LCDR Ian KNOX takes command of PERTH(2) for a short period whilst CAPT Doyle is placed on a staff course |
| DECEMBER | ||
| 1st | 1971 | CAPT Robert PERCY takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 9th | 1987 | CMDR Martin SMITH takes command of PERTH(2) |
| 10th | 1966 | CAPT Peter DOYLE takes command of PERTH(2) once again after his return from the staff course |
| 19th | 1984 | CMDR Graham SLOPER takes command of PERTH(2) |