RAN Oberons 1959 - 2000
A Summary of the RAN Oberon Service in the RAN
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An Australian Submarine Force
October 1959
Joint Planning Committee Consideration of an Australian Submarine Force
The Defence Joint Planning Committee recommended that Australia establish a Submarine Force
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January 1963
Cabinet Decision to Acquire Submarines
On 23 January Senator John Gorton (Minister for the Navy) announced that Cabinet had agreed to purchase 4 Oberon Class submarines at a price of $10 million each.
March 1967
HMAS Oxley II Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Oxley II, under the command of Lieutenant Commander David Lorrimer RAN, was commissioned at 1100 on Tuesday 21 March 1967 at Scott's shipyard in Greenock, Scotland.
April 1968
HMAS Otway II commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Otway II, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Gordon Dalrymple RAN, was commissioned into the RAN at Scotts Shipyard in Greenock on Tuesday 23 April.
April 1969
HMAS Ovens commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Ovens, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Barry Nobes RAN, was commissioned into the RAN on Friday 18 April
December 1969
HMAS Onslow Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Onslow, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Charles Nixon-Eckersall Royal Navy, was commissioned into the RAN at Scotts shipyard in Greenock on Monday 22 December.
June 1971
Order placed for two Oberon Class submarines
An order was placed with Scotts for two Oberon class submarines at $24 million each.
June 1977
HMAS Orion Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Orion, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Rob Woolrych, Royal Australian Navy, was commissioned into the RAN at Scotts shipyard in Greenock on Wednesday 15 June.
April 1978
HMAS Otama Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy
HMAS Orion, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Frank Wolfe, Royal Australian Navy, was commissioned into the RAN at Scotts shipyard in Greenock on Thursday 27 April.
February 1992
HMAS Oxley II decommissioned and scrapped
HMAS Oxley II under the command of Lieutenant Commander Neil Wallace, Royal Australian Navy was decommissioned at HMAS Stirling, Fleet Base West, Garden Island, Western Australia on Thursday 13 February 1992.
Image provided by WA Maritime Museum
Oxley II bow at WA Maritime Museum, Fremantle
February 1994
HMAS Otway II decommissioned and partially scrapped
HMAS Otway II was decommissioned at HMAS Platypus in Neutral Bay on Thursday 17 February. The submarine was subsequently broken up for scrap and its casing and fin errected in Holbrook in New South Wales.
Image provided by the Holbrook Submarine Museum
Otway II at Holbrook Submarine Museum
November 1994
HMAS Ovens decommissioned and gifted to WA Martime Museum
HMAS Ovens under the command of Lieutenant Commander M.R. Jones, Royal Australian Navy was decommissioned at HMAS Stirling, Fleet Base West, Garden Island, Western Australia on Monday 14 November.
Image provided by the Western Australian Maritime Museum
Ovens on the Slipway at the Western Australian Maritime Museum, Fremantle
October 1996
HMAS Orion decommissioned and scrapped
HMAS Orion was decommissioned at HMAS Stirling, Fleet Base West, Garden Island, Western Australia on Friday 4 October. Its fin now stands in the Naval Memorial Park in Rockingham, WA.
Image provided by the City of Rockingham
Orion fin in Naval Memorial Park, Rockingham
March 1999
HMAS Onslow decommissioned and trnasferred to the Australian National Maritime Museum.
HMAS Onslow was decommissioned at HMAS Platypus in Neutral Bay. The submarine was handed over to the Australian National Maritime Museum where it is open to the public at Darling Harbour.
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Onslow at the Australian National Maritime Museum
December 2000
HMAS Otama decommissioned
HMAS Otama under the command of Commander Mark Sander, Royal Australian Navy was decommissioned at HMAS Stirling, Fleet Base West, Garden Island, Western Australia on Friday 15 December.