HMAS
Wollongong
(II)

HMAS Wollongong (II)
Class
Fremantle Class
Type
Patrol Boat
Pennant
P206
Builder
North Queensland Engineers and Agents, Cairns, Queensland
Commissioned
28 November 1981
Decommissioned
11 February 2006
Dimensions & Displacement
Displacement 220 tonnes
Length 42 metres
Beam 7.15 metres
Draught 1.8 metres
Performance
Speed 30 knots
Complement
Crew 24
Propulsion
Machinery
  • Two MTU 538 series 16-cylinder main propulsion engines
  • One Dorman 12-cylinder auxiliary propulsion engine
Horsepower 6140
Armament
Guns
  • 40/60 Bofors general purpose gun
  • 2 x .50 calibre (12.7mm) machine guns
Awards
Inherited Battle Honours
HMAS Wollongong (II) Badge

HMAS Wollongong was one of 15 Fremantle Class patrol boats in the Royal Australian Navy and the third to be built by North Queensland Engineers and Agents Ltd (NQEA) at Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

The main peacetime role of Wollongong was supporting the Civil Surveillance Program.

The Civil Surveillance Program was designed to assist various Government agencies to achieve effective surveillance of coastal and offshore areas of Australia.

These agencies include Customs, Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), Department of Immigration, Australian Fisheries Management Agency (AFMA) and Environment Australia.

This service was delivered through the coordination of Government assets (including RAN FCPBs) and civil contractors and was managed by Coastwatch Australia.

Wollongong carries the Battle Honours:

  • Indian Ocean 1942-45
  • Mediteranean 1943
  • Sicily 1943
  • Pacific 1942-45
  • East Indies 1943, and
  • Okinawa 1945

These honours were awarded to the name Wollongong in recognition of the career of HMAS Wollongong (I), a Bathurst class minesweeper, active during the Second World War.

HMAS Wollongong took part in 'Non Warlike' service in the Solomon Islands as part of Operation HELPUM FREN (October/November 2003). During the course of her service Wollongong visited many ports in South East Asia and the Pacific and also travelled extensively to Australian Ports.