 HMASKookaburra docked at Garden Island | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Australia | |
| Builder | Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company |
| Laid down | 4 July 1938 |
| Launched | 29 October 1938 |
| Commissioned | 28 February 1939 |
| Decommissioned | 15 January 1946 |
| Recommissioned | November 1950 |
| Decommissioned | November 1950 |
| Recommissioned | 11 May 1956 |
| Decommissioned | 3 December 1958 |
| Honours & awards |
|
| Fate | Sold in August 1965, scuttled in March 1970 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Net-classboom defence vessel |
| Displacement | 533 tons |
| Length | 160 ft (49 m) |
| Beam | 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m) |
| Draught | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
| Propulsion | Triple-expansion steam engine |
| Speed | 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph) |
| Armament | 1 ×3-inch anti-aircraft gun, 2 ×Vickers machine guns |
HMASKookaburra (A331) was aNet-classboom defence vessel of theRoyal Australian Navy (RAN), which served duringWorld War II.
Kookaburra was one of three ships ordered by theRoyal Australian Navy for use as boom-net defence vessels.[1] She was laid down by theCockatoo Docks & Engineering Company atCockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney on 4 April 1938, launched on 29 October 1938, and commissioned into the RAN on 28 February 1939.[2]
Originally used as boom defence ship and anti-submarine training vessel in Sydney,Kookaburra was transferred to Darwin in April 1940.[2] The ship served as a boom defense andexamination vessel in Darwin, and remained there until the end of World War II, with the exception of a refit in Brisbane between September 1942 and February 1943.[2]Kookaburra received thebattle honour "Darwin 1942-43" for her wartime service.[3][4]
On 15 January 1946,Kookaburra was paid off into reserve, was briefly recommissioned for a voyage to Sydney in 1950, and underwent conversion to a "Special Duties Vessel".[2]Kookaburra was recommissioned again on 11 May 1956 as a survey and general duties ship.[2]
In July 1952, the ship visited Brisbane.[2] During this visit, a paperboy delivering to the ship fell overboard and was rescued by two personnel fromKookaburra.[2]
Kookaburra was decommissioned for the final time on 3 December 1958.[2] She was marked for disposal on 24 June 1965,[2] sold in August 1965, and scuttled in March 1970.
33°51.300′S151°21.196′E / 33.855000°S 151.353267°E /-33.855000; 151.353267
