HMAS Banks
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| Career (Australia) |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Walkers Ltd Maryborough, Queensland |
| Launched: | 15 December 1959 |
| Commissioned: | 16 February 1960 |
| Decommissioned: | 17 December 1982 |
| Out of service: | 1995 |
| Motto: | "Integrity" |
| Fate: | Sold 1995 |
| Badge: |  |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 207 tonnes standard 255 tonnes full load |
| Length: | 90 ft (27 m) p/p, 101 ft (31 m) overall |
| Beam: | 22 ft (6.7 m) |
| Draught: | 8 ft (2.4 m) |
| Propulsion: | Diesel twin screw 348bhp |
| Speed: | 10 kts |
| Complement: | 16 |
| Armament: | .50 cal machine guns fitted as required |
HMAS Banks was an Explorer Class General Purpose Vessel of the Royal Australian Navy, serving in a range of capacities from 1960 until 1995. She was named in honour of Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his voyage of discovery to Australia in 1770.
Banks was laid down by Walkers Ltd of Maryborough, Queensland in 1959 and launched on 15 December of that year by Mrs. W H Harrington, wife of the Second Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board. She commissioned 16 February 1960 with pennant number GPV901. HMAS Banks wore the pennant numbers GPV901, Y266, G244, and finally 244. [1]
[edit] Operational History
On completion, HMAS Banks was fitted out for fishery surveillance duties in northern Australian waters. In April 1961, while operating in the Darwin area, she carried out a hydrographic survey of the Adelaide River area, becoming the first seagoing ship in 50 years to make the Adelaide River passage. [2]
From 1963 to 1966, Banks provided training for members of the Papua New Guinea Division, based at Manus. During this period, Banks was manned by a mixed Australia-PNG crew.
In 1966, Banks returned to Sydney for a refit, before being handed over to the Royal Australian Navy reserve on 7 July 1967, for use as a navigation and seamanship training vessel attached to HMAS Encounter, the Navy base in Port Adelaide South Australia.
Banks decommissioned on 17 December 1982. She was allocated to HMAS Creswell at Jervis Bay, NSW as a General Purpose Vessel, and was used chiefly for navigational training. In 1985, she was transferred to HMAS Waterhen in Sydney, where she continued to be used for navigation training.
In 1995, Banks left Sydney to undergo a major refit at Port Macquarie, however the refit was terminated due to a devastating fire on board 1 September 1995. Banks was sold shortly after to the present owners (Pleasure Cruises Australasia of Ulladulla, NSW), who have converted it into a charter vessel, MV Banks. [3]
[edit] References
- ^ Straczek, John. “The Royal Australian Navy: Ships, Aircraft and Shore Establishments”, Navy Public Affairs, Sydney, 1996. ISBN 1-876-04378-4
- ^ Bastock, John. “Australia’s Ships of War”, Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1975. ISBN 0-207-12927-4
- ^ MV Banks website (Retrieved 9/1/06)
