| HMASWatson | |
|---|---|
| Part ofFleet Base East | |
| South Head /Watsons Bay,New South Wales in Australia | |
 HMASWatson fromSydney Harbour in 2021 | |
| Site information | |
| Type | Naval training base |
| Owner | Department of Defence |
| Operator |  Royal Australian Navy (1942 – 1967); Royal Australian Navy(1967 – present) |
| Location | |
  HMASWatson Location inSydney | |
| Coordinates | 33°50′13″S151°16′48″E / 33.837°S 151.280°E /-33.837; 151.280 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 (1942) |
| In use | 1942 – present |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Captain RAN |
HMASWatson is aRoyal Australian Navy (RAN)base onSydney Harbour atSouth Head, nearWatsons Bay inSydney, Australia. Commissioned in 1945 (after three years operating asHMASRadar), the base served as the RAN'sradar training school. In 1956, torpedo and anti-submarine warfare training were relocated to the base, and by 2011,Watson was the main maritime warfare training base, as well as providing post-entry education for maritime warfare officers, training for combat system andelectronic warfare sailors, and command training.
The base's name is derived from its location atWatsons Bay, which in turn was named after Robert Watson, thequartermaster ofHMSSirius, a ship of theFirst Fleet.[1]: 125 In 1801,GovernorPhilip King granted Watson land at South Head, where he settled. Watson later becomingboatswain, seniorharbour pilot andharbourmaster of the new colony.[2] In 1818, GovernorLachlan Macquarie commissioned theMacquarie Lighthouse appointing Watson as the firstsuperintendent of the lighthouse. Today, the Macquarie Lighthouse is depicted in the centre of the crest of HMSWatson.[3]
South Head was recognised as an important site for the young colony and, as early as the first year of settlement, a signal gun from HMSSirius was installed at South Head in order to indicate the arrival of any ships.[2]
The first permanent military presence on South Head commenced in 1871 with the development ofCoastal artillery emplacements to defend the Port of Sydney. The first barracks, occupied by members of theNSW Artillery, were completed 19 March 1877. Extensions were added in 1880 to accommodate additional personnel. Many of the early barracks constructions are still standing.[3]
The RAN first established training facilities at South Head in 1942, when the navy'sradar school was shifted there fromHMAS Rushcutter.[1]: 126 The facility initially operated under the name HMASRadar, but was commissioned as HMASWatson on 14 March 1945.[1]: 126 [4] Torpedo and anti-submarine warfare training were relocated toWatson in 1956.[1]: 126
Watson's main role is for the training of RAN personnel in maritime warfare.[1]: 125 In addition, the base provides post-entry training for maritime warfare officers in areas of navigation, ship handling, tactics, weapons, and sensors; training for combat system operator and electronic warfare category sailors; and command training for recently promotedcommanding andexecutive officers.[1]: 125 It is also the parent base for RAN personnel studying at Sydney universities.[4]: 584
The facility has a ship's company of 300.[1]: 126
