HMAS Culgoa (K408)

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Career (Royal Australian Navy)

Namesake:	Culgoa River
Builder:	HMA Naval Dockyard, Williamstown, Victoria
Laid down:	15 July 1943
Launched:	22 September 1945
Completed:	24 December 1946
Commissioned:	1 April 1947
Decommissioned:	15 April 1954
General characteristics
Class and type:	Bay class frigate
Displacement:	1,537 tons (standard), 2,200 tons (full load)
Length:	301 ft (92 m)
Beam:	36 ft (11 m)
Draught:	12 ft (3.7 m)
Propulsion:	Triple expansion, 2 shafts, 5,500 IHP
Speed:	19½ knots
Complement:	175 crew
Armament:	4 x 4-inch guns 3 x 40 mm Bofors 4 x 20 mm Oerlikons 1 x Hedgehog 4 x Depth Charge Throwers

HMAS Culgoa (K408/F408/A256), named for the Culgoa River, was a Bay class frigate serving in the Royal Australian Navy. She was laid down by HMA Naval Dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria on 15 July 1943^[1] as HMAS Murray, but was renamed to avoid confusion with the British ship of the same name. The frigate was launched on 22 September 1945 by Mrs. Showers, wife of the Second Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board,^[1] and completed on 24 December 1946. She was immediately placed in reserve until her commissioning on 1 April 1947.^[1]

Culgoa served in the Korean War.^[1]

Culgoa paid of into reserve on 15 April 1954, and used as accommodation by personnel at HMAS Waterhen until she was sold for scrap to N. W. Kennedy Limited of Vancouver in Canada on 15 February 1972.^[1] Culgoa left Sydney under tow for Taiwan in March 1972.^[1]