HMAS Sydney and Vietnam Logistic Support Unit

This service remembers the ships that have borne the name HMAS Sydney and all those who have served aboard them.

The first HMAS Sydney was a light cruiser commissioned in 1913. She served during the First World War with a crew of 376. Her most famous battle was against the German raider Emden on 9 November 1914. After an intense sea battle, the Emden was forced aground off the Cocos Islands. The battle cost Sydney three crew members. She was decommissioned in 1928.

The second HMAS Sydney was a modified British Leander class light cruiser. She was commissioned in 1935 and would go on to serve in the Second World War. On 19 November 1941, she was off the coast of Western Australia when she came across the disguised German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran. The sea battle resulted in the total loss of Sydney and her 645 crew. The final resting place of both ships was not discovered until 2008.

The third HMAS Sydney was an aircraft carrier that served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Between 1965 and 1972 she made 25 voyages to Vietnam carrying troops and equipment. This earned her the nickname "Vung Tau Ferry". 

A fourth HMAS Sydney was a frigate that served in Kuwait, East Timor and Iraq. The fifth and current HMAS Sydney is a guided missile destroyer. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 she became the first Australian ship to be commissioned at sea since the Second World War. 

This service occurs on 19 November each year to mark the loss of HMAS Sydney in 1941. 

Shrine Representative:

• Shrine Governors Lieutenant Commander Jan Gallagher & Commander Terry Makings AM

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