Thread: Navy History- A little warrie and some very salty 15 &16 year old Gents- 35 years on

Originally Posted by pop058

I was standing on the pointy end of Stalwart when she went past. A few of us thought, jeez who's driving the sports car. Not sure what the Skipper was thinking ATT.

I thought the Stalwart never went to sea. Just tied up at GI aground on her empty bottles.

I think they must have taken the "Welcome" sign too literally. "Yeah sure ship, come right in".

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

I thought the Stalwart never went to sea. Just tied up at GI aground on her empty bottles.

85/86 on Building 215 was (relatively) busy actually.

Originally Posted by pop058

85/86 on Building 215 was (relatively) busy actually.

I thought the concept of Stalwart was brilliant. A forward repair base which could maintain our major assets [providing they could keep her safe]. It all went west when Gov. decided the Navy didn't need its own specialist tradesmen, and closed down Nirimba. I don't even know if Fleet Maintenance exists on GI any more.

Originally Posted by bob10

I thought the concept of Stalwart was brilliant. A forward repair base which could maintain our major assets [providing they could keep her safe]. It all went west when Gov. decided the Navy didn't need its own specialist tradesmen, and closed down Nirimba. I don't even know if Fleet Maintenance exists on GI any more.

There was a big clean out of civilian workers at GI about 1974. Very much overdue. A real rest home for tired bludgers. I worked for an electrical contractor on one of the Melbourne's refits and we worked at normal civilian contractors pace and rules. We were stunned, those of us who had never worked on GI before, at the sheer laziness, duplication, wasteful work practices of the Navy employees. Not to mention the enlisted personnel, many of whom seemed to disappear at lunchtime and never seen again. The Federated Ships Painters and Dockers seemed to rule the roost. Management seemed frightened of them and their ability to call strikes or stop work meetings at will. The dockies would take over a compartment for their HQ, get a 'phone installed, fridge, urn, mattresses, etc.

I reckoned those Dept. of Navy employees who were sacked in '74 would have never adjusted to a job in the private sector where you actually had to work. A number of the departing employees were found by the Personnel people appointed to clean the place up to have no duties whatsoever. They just turned up and got paid. Some would take bets, sell football betting cards, organise social club ****-ups, take and collect lunch orders for those who didn't go out to a pub for lunch.

Brian, your opinion sounds about right to me after following bob's HMAS Nirimba link which sent me on a Search.

I don't know how to copy & paste a Pdf link satisfactorily after trying, so I won't try again, but if you can follow this item it appears as though Naval Service wasn't all the beer & skittles that it is made out to be back then. Well certainly beer was, skittles dunno? If you made them yourself to hit your wife with, maybe?


Sub_58 Gary Myors. That is all I can copy for some reason but give it a try

Google it.
A shipwright that seems to have tolerated a lot in his service for 12 years & explains a lot to me why ex Service men (& women too I suppose) hit the ****, the wife & anybody else that comes within range, not to mention depression & a whole lot of stuff the Navy system seems to thrive on & create.

Probably old hat to former RAN members.


Now, don't shoot the Messenger ok?

Originally Posted by bob10

I thought the concept of Stalwart was brilliant. A forward repair base which could maintain our major assets [providing they could keep her safe]. It all went west when Gov. decided the Navy didn't need its own specialist tradesmen, and closed down Nirimba. I don't even know if Fleet Maintenance exists on GI any more.

Was there for that too. Over the 4 years I spent there (as a Comms Instructor), the growing trend in the fleet toward "board jockeys" as a repair method was obvious. I admit the concept was more time efficient but they (the tradesman) became noticably less able to think logically and problem solve.

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

There was a big clean out of civilian workers at GI about 1974. Very much overdue. A real rest home for tired bludgers. I worked for an electrical contractor on one of the Melbourne's refits and we worked at normal civilian contractors pace and rules. We were stunned, those of us who had never worked on GI before, at the sheer laziness, duplication, wasteful work practices of the Navy employees. Not to mention the enlisted personnel, many of whom seemed to disappear at lunchtime and never seen again. The Federated Ships Painters and Dockers seemed to rule the roost. Management seemed frightened of them and their ability to call strikes or stop work meetings at will. The dockies would take over a compartment for their HQ, get a 'phone installed, fridge, urn, mattresses, etc.

I reckoned those Dept. of Navy employees who were sacked in '74 would have never adjusted to a job in the private sector where you actually had to work. A number of the departing employees were found by the Personnel people appointed to clean the place up to have no duties whatsoever. They just turned up and got paid. Some would take bets, sell football betting cards, organise social club ****-ups, take and collect lunch orders for those who didn't go out to a pub for lunch.

I don't know about the civilian side of it, but Fleet maintenance was a part of GI , fully staffed and run by the Navy. The Navy had little to do with the civilian Dockyard, which was beset with all the problems of dockyards all over Australia. Don't get the two mixed up. Fleet maintenance was set up to do work on ships in intermediate docking , and for general maintenance beyond the capabilities of ships staff. If the Navy relied on the dockyard to do these jobs, the fleet would never put to sea. As for the enlisted people having some time off, those refits were the only time crews could catch up on much needed leave. Spending 9 months away each year, on average, the capability to have some time off [ taken out of their leave entitlements, on the most part], probably saved a few marriages. What you may not be aware of, is the fact that in order to maximise time off, ships often ran on " tropical routine". Stating early, finishing early. One thing, Dockyard workers were not Navy employees. EDIT and sailors had the same opinion about dockies you had.