Description

Title: Royal Australian Naval College

Author:

Condition: Very Good

Edition: 1st Edition

Publication Date: 1961

ISBN: N/A

Cover: Soft Cover without Dust Jacket – 64 pages

Comments: The history of HMAS Cresswell. 

HMAS Creswell is a shore establishment of the Royal Australian Navy, a part of the Australian Defence Force, and consists of the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC), The RAN School of Survivability and Ship’s Safety, Kalkara Flight, the Beecroft Weapons Range and an administrative support department.

The Commanding Officer of Creswell is the Superintendent of Naval Waters for Jervis Bay, and also lead authority for the conduct and management of Navy’s initial entry, leadership and management training around Australia.

HMAS Creswell is located between Jervis Bay Village and Greenpatch on the shores of Jervis Bay in the Jervis Bay Territory.

Parliament selected the site of Captain’s Point in the Australian Capital Territory (Jervis Bay Territory) on the south coast of New South Wales, near Nowra, for the Royal Australian Naval College on 7 November 1911. While the new college was built, the RANC was temporarily located at Osborne House, Geelong. Osborne House had been considered as a permanent location for the College.

Construction of the main college buildings was completed in 1915. The senior staff bungalows were designed by John Smith Murdoch, later the Chief Architect of the Commonwealth of Australia and designer of Old Parliament House, Canberra.

The RANC, then consisting of the first two entries of cadet midshipmen, moved to Jervis Bay on 10 February 1915; however, it was moved to Flinders Naval Depot in 1930 to reduce costs during the Great Depression. To reduce overcrowding at the depot, the college moved once again to Captain’s Point in 1958.

The establishment at Captain’s Point was renamed HMAS Creswell in honour of Sir William Rooke Creswell, a former Lieutenant in the Royal Navy who was an important colonial naval officer, was instrumental to the formation of an independent Australian navy, and served as the First Naval Member of the Naval Board from 1911 to 1919.
Crest of HMAS Creswell.

The Royal Australian Naval College is Australia’s authority for the basic and leadership training of officers for service in the Royal Australian Navy.