Celebrating 125 years of service

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Published

22 July 2026

Composite black-and-white image showing Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam personnel in South Vietnam, c. 1969. The left side depicts several UH-1 Iroquois helicopters on a flight line with service personnel standing nearby. The right side shows a group of seated servicemen watching an outdoor performance, including RANHFV pilots Charles Robert Rex, Thomas Francis Supple and Jerome Michael (Jed) Hart at the front right.

On 1 March 2026, the Australian National Maritime Museum marked the 125th anniversary of the establishment of Australia's Commonwealth Naval Forces. Through Service@Sea, a series of readings drawn from letters, diaries and personal accounts, the museum celebrated the people who have served at sea, exploring 125 years of naval history through the authentic voices of sailors, families and veterans, from Federation in 1901 to the present day.

History is often told through dates, battles and ships. Service@Sea offered something different.

Presented as part of the museum's free Open Day, the live reading invited audiences to experience 125 years of Australian naval history through the personal words of those who lived it. Letters carefully preserved in museum and archival collections became the voices of sailors, loved ones and veterans, revealing the human stories behind Australia's maritime history.

The journey began in 1901 with the formation of the Commonwealth Naval Forces, the foundation on which today's Royal Australian Navy was built. Among the earliest voices was Captain William Rooke Creswell, whose vision for an Australian navy helped shape the nation's future.

Historic black-and-white portrait of Admiral Sir William Rooke Creswell in Royal Australian Navy uniform.

Portrait of Captain William Rooke Creswell (1852-1933). He became Naval Commandant of Queensland in 1900 and in this image is wearing the rank and insignia of the Queensland naval forces.

State Library of South Australia

William Rooke Creswell in later life as a senior naval officer.

Courtesy Australian War Memorial

"For a maritime state unfurnished with a navy, the sea, so far from being a safe frontier, is rather a highway for her enemies."

— Captain William Rooke Creswell, Naval Commandant of Queensland, 1902

Black-and-white photograph of the Royal Australian Navy cruiser HMAS Sydney (I) underway at sea, viewed from the starboard bow. The ship features four funnels, a tripod foremast with a director tower and range clock, an aircraft take-off platform ahead of the bridge, and additional anti-aircraft and searchlight equipment added during post-war modifications.

Official correspondence following the disappearance of HMAS AE1 in 1914 revealed the restrained language of wartime bureaucracy, while the words of stoker Henry Nielsen aboard HMAS Sydney brought audiences directly into Australia's first major naval victory of the First World War.

"We came up with the Emden about 9:10 am... We were superior to them in every way."
— Henry Nielsen, stoker aboard HMAS Sydney, writing after the battle of Emden, 1914

As the decades passed, the voices became increasingly personal. Young WRANS officer Joan Cowie described the pride and uncertainty of joining a service still finding its feet during the Second World War.

"The first unwitting enthusiasm soon died, but was replaced by a feeling... worth giving one's best."
— Joan Cowie, Women's Royal Australian Naval Service

Painting of two WRANS personnel at a wireless communications desk. One service member sits wearing headphones and operating radio equipment, while another stands beside the desk reading a message. Both are dressed in naval uniforms, and a wall map hangs in the background.

Third Officer Joan Cowie (standing) and Telegraphist Walton of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) operating a wireless communication station.

Courtesy Australian War Memorial

Black-and-white photograph of three naval personnel seated around a large desk in an office. At centre, a naval officer reviews documents while a WRANS officer on the right records notes. Another naval officer sits on the left. Papers, office equipment and books are arranged on.

Second Officer Joan Cowie of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Servicetakes notes for Commander John Bolton Newman, RAN, seated at centre.

Courtesy Australian War Memorial

Elsewhere, Able Seaman Kenneth Walker wrote not about conflict, but loneliness in a letter to his sweetheart, Jean Skidmore, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.

"Have you ever been lonely? Have you ever been blue? Well, I am."

— Able Seaman Kenneth James Walker, 1939

Handwritten letter on aged, creased paper dated Sunday, 15 August 1915. The letter, addressed to “Dear Jean,” is written in dark ink and includes the sender’s address aboard HMAS Moresby. The page contains several paragraphs describing shipboard life and travel while anchored near Palm Island, Queensland. Australian War Memorial collection.

Kenneth James Walker’s letter to Jean Skidmore, written aboard HMAS Moresby on 13 August 1915 while anchored near Palm Island, Queensland. In the letter, Walker describes life at sea and the places visited during the ship’s voyage. Australian War Memorial collection.

Some of the most powerful accounts came from moments of extraordinary survival. Duncan Stevenson, one of only 34 survivors of HMAS Yarra, described drifting for days on a crowded liferaft after the ship was sunk in 1942, while Reginald Andrews recalled the dramatic night Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour.

Together, these accounts revealed that courage was not only found in combat, but also in endurance, separation and quiet determination.

The program also reflected the changing face of the Royal Australian Navy.

Gundungurra man Gary Oakley OAM shared his experience of joining the Navy as a 15-year-old and later serving as a submariner during the Vietnam War.

"We join the Defence Force because it's about serving country."
— Gary Oakley OAM

Vietnam veteran and Royal Australian Navy helicopter pilot Jed Hart reflected on flying more than 800 combat hours before returning home to little public recognition.

"No one thanked us. No one met us. We just flew back with the Qantas flight and stepped out of the airport, and we were on our own."
— Jed Hart, Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam

Black-and-white photograph of a line of UH-1 Iroquois helicopters parked on a flight line at Bearcat Base, South Vietnam. Service personnel stand beside the aircraft while refuelling and maintenance activities take place along the tarmac.

UH-1 Iroquois helicopters of the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam on the flight line at Bearcat Base, South Vietnam.

Courtesy Australian War Memorial

Black-and-white photograph showing a civilian representative shaking hands with a Royal Australian Navy serviceman in front of a large “USA–RAN 135” unit sign at Bearcat Base, South Vietnam.

Members of the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam at Bearcat Base, South Vietnam.

Courtest Australian War Memorial

The final stories highlighted the opening of opportunities for women at sea. Lieutenant Commander Carol Hay reflected on becoming Australia's first female Warfare Officer to see operational service, recalling both the challenges of entering a traditionally male profession and the determination that helped pave the way for future generations.

"While there were some 'dinosaurs' that still felt that women should not be at sea, the majority of colleagues I encountered were more interested in the quality of your work."
— Lieutenant Commander Carol Hay

Black-and-white photograph of Royal Australian Navy personnel standing on the deck of HMAS Success in 1993. Five crew members are gathered along a rail beneath shipboard equipment and lifeboats, illustrating life and service at sea during the early years of women serving aboard RAN vessels.

Royal Australian Navy personnel aboard HMAS Success, 1993. The photograph captures daily life at sea during a period of significant change for the RAN, following the introduction of women serving aboard naval ships. Image featured in Winning at Sea: The Story of Women at Sea in the RAN.

Courtesy Carol Hay

Although separated by more than a century, each story shared a common thread. They spoke not simply of naval operations, but of people, their hopes, fears, humour, resilience and service.

Many of these remarkable accounts survive today because letters were kept, diaries preserved and oral histories recorded. They remain an invaluable part of the museum's collection, connecting contemporary audiences with generations of Australians whose lives were shaped by service at sea.

Celebrating 125 years of service Celebrating 125 years of service

Celebrating 125 years of service