HMAS

Maitland

HMAS Maitland was the sixth of 14 Armidale Class Patrol Boats (ACPB) constructed for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). She was built by Austal Ships at Henderson, Western Australia as part of a $553 million contract between the Federal Government and Defence Maritime Services.

The Armidale class vessels continued the legacy of service established by the RAN’s former Attack and Fremantle Class Patrol boats. The larger, more capable ACPBs were characterised by good seakeeping qualities, improved range and endurance, as well as hosting a state-of-the-art surveillance system. They have contributed significantly over the last two decades to myriad border protection and maritime security operations, both in Australian waters and throughout the south-west Pacific.

Commissioning

After conducting trials in what would become her homeport of Darwin, HMAS Maitland commissioned in the RAN on 29 September 2006 in Newcastle, New South Wales, under the command of Lieutenant Commander David Graham, RAN. Among the more than 600 guests present at the ceremony were the then Maritime Commander Australia, Read Admiral Davyd Thomas, AM, CSC, RAN, and as Guest of Honour and Commissioning Lady, Mrs Jacqueline Rice. Mrs Rice’s late father, Telegraphist Jack Breddin, served in the shore establishment, HMAS Maitland, during World War II. The ship’s company were granted Freedom of Entry to the City of Maitland the following day and they exercised that right with a Freedom of Entry march through the city streets. She proceeded to her homeport of Darwin in October.

Roles and Operations

Maitland’s primary role was the execution of constabulary and surveillance operations in waters bounded by the northern reaches of Australia’s coastline. Maitland was first assigned to Operation RESOLUTE, the Australian Defence Force operation to protect Australia’s borders and offshore maritime interests, in October 2006. She served diligently in that capacity for over 15 years.

Throughout her commission, Maitland conducted innumerable intercept, control and transport operations of both Foreign Fishing Vessels and Suspected Irregular Entry Vessels (SIEV). On several occasions members of Maitland’s ship’s company risked their own safety to rescue people at sea whose own vessels had sunk or were in distress. Maitland also regularly conducted patrols of oil and gas installations in northern Australian waters, and, on occasion, assisted the Australian Federal Police in the tracking and interception of vessels believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking and in conducting other narcotics investigations.

She also contributed to multi-national operations conducting coordinated patrols with Papua New Guinea naval units in PNG waters in October and November 2017, And Operation AUGURY with Philippine naval units in November and December 2017. In 2021 she deployed to the Solomon Islands to contribute to fisheries law enforcement in the South Pacific under the auspices of Operations SOLANIA, 365 and RAI BALANG.

Maitland regularly provided support to the civil community, responding to a number of mariners in distress, and through the provision of emergency support, engineering assistance and medivac capabilities to others in need.

Regional Engagement

Against the backdrop of her operational commitments, Maitland was also a regular participant in diplomatic, ceremonial and commemorative events. In June 2008 the ship’s company welcomed aboard the President of Timor Leste, President Jose Ramos Horta, during the president’s visit to Darwin.

Maitland visited numerous ports in nations throughout Asia and the Pacific including Singapore, Port Blair, Phuket, Port Klang, Jakarta, Benoa, Madang, Zamboanga, Cebu, Port Moresby and Honiara. She also participated in the multi-national Exercise MILAN held in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2008, as well as various passage exercises with units from foreign navies. In August 2017 she visited Dili, Timor Leste, to participate in events marking Falintil Day, and visited the Timorese capital once again in February and March 2020 in support of the ASEAN Regional Workshop Forum and the inaugural Joint Australian/Timor Leste Maritime Domain Awareness Patrol, Operation SANDALWOOD.

HMAS Maitland (foreground) in formation during Exercise Kakadu 2008.

Maitland took part in a number of fleet exercises in Australian waters including Exercise KAKADU in 2008, a Minor War Vessel Concentration Period in 2009 and Exercise CASSOWARY with naval units from Indonesia in 2018. She also participated in Exercise PARADISE in August 2017, and again in September 2019, with units of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, designed to enhance interoperability between the two nations’ defence forces.

Maitland’s ship’s company conducted several Freedom of Entry parades in the City of Maitland; on 30 September 2006 and 21 October 2017 and finally on 2 April 2022.  Maitland’s ship’s company also participated in the city's Anzac Day march in 2018.

Commanding Officer of HMAS Maitland, Lieutenant Commander Jeremy Evain, leads the ship's company through the streets of Maitland, New South Wales, during the Freedom of Entry march. 2 April 2022.

For many years the Armidale class patrol boats were crewed by RAN personnel drawn from multiple patrol boat crews, before reverting to a more conventional single crew arrangement. During that time, many hundreds of officers and sailors served in HMAS Maitland developing a strong affiliation with the ship.

HMAS Maitland was decommissioned in Darwin on 28 April 2022. 

Commanding Officers

During the multi-crewing era, HMAS Mailtland was, at various times, under the command of the following officers:

Multi-crewing was discontinued on 24 August 2015 when a more conventional single ship/single crew arrangement was implemented.