HMAS Echuca

HMAS Echuca was one of 60 Australian Minesweepers (commonly known as corvettes) built during the Second World War in Australian shipyards as part of the Commonwealth Government's wartime shipbuilding program. Twenty were built on Admiralty order but crewed and commissioned by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Thirty-six were built for the Royal Australian Navy and four for the Royal Indian Navy.

HMAS Echuca was laid down at Melbourne Harbour Trust, Williamstown, Melbourne, Victoria on 22 February 1941. It was launched on 17 January 1942 by Lady Royle, wife of the First Naval Member, and was the first RAN warship to carry the name of the town located on the banks of the Murray River and the Campaspe River in Victoria.

HMAS Echuca commissioned at Melbourne on 7 September 1942 under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ronald A Nettlefold RANR.

Echuca served as an escort and anti-submarine patrol vessel on the east coast of Australia and in the New Guinea area from October 1942 to August 1944, during which period it steamed 59 000 miles.

In August 1944 it proceeded to Darwin where it passed to the operational control of the United States 7th Fleet Survey Group, Task Group 70.5. Echuca operated on survey duties in northern Australian waters until October 1945, when it proceeded from Darwin to Brisbane to replace minesweeping gear prior to joining the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla to take part in the RAN postwar minesweeping program. Following brief sweeping operations in Australian waters Echuca proceeded with the Flotilla to New Britain and the Solomon Islands.

In August 1946 Echuca returned to Australia for paying off into the Reserve Fleet at Sydney. It returned to service in January 1947 for further minesweeping duty with the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla and until October 1947 was engaged in mine clearance on the Barrier Reef, Queensland.

In November 1947 Echuca towed ship of the same class HMAS Inverell from Brisbane to Sydney. Echuca was paid off into reserve at Fremantle on 29 June 1948. On 23 April 1952 the tug HMAS Reserve took Echuca in tow at Fremantle, and conveyed it to Melbourne, arriving on 3 May. The corvette undertook a refit at Williamstown Dockyard before being transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy, having steamed some 123 000 miles during its RAN service.