HMS Platypus was built as a Submarine depot ship for the RAN to "mother" the submarines AE1 and AE2. As both these boats were lost prior to PLATYPUS being completed, the ship was loaned to the Royal Navy  for the duration of W W 1. She sailed to Australia on completion of hostilities and was used in her original designed role on the arrival of the gift J Class submarines in the early 1920s.   On completion of this task and following the sinking of ex HMAS ENCOUNTER which had been renamed PENGUIN, and used for accommodation alongside Garden Island, PLATYPUS was renamed PENGUIN and retained that name until the completion of the new Naval depot at Balmoral, NSW which took the name PENGUIN. PLATYPUS reverted to her original name and retained it until the end of her service. She was based in Darwin and waters north of New Guinea during W W 2 and on return to Sydney, was utilised as the H Q ship of the Sydney division of the Reserve Fleet until she was sold out of service in the late 1950s.  She was a unique ship and at the time of "paying off" was the oldest and longest serving ship in the RAN.  Thanks to Vince Fazio. Shipwright Lieutenant RAN Rtd.  for this information.

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Australian Trooper A32.

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Photographed by George Mortimore L.R.P.S  Copyright Cranston Fine Arts.  A reproduction of this original photo  size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  . Order Code  GM200

HMAS Supply in Singapore Strait, 1969.

Photographed by George Mortimore L.R.P.S  Copyright Cranston Fine Arts.  A reproduction of this original photo  size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  . Order Code  GM201

HMAS Supply, May 1970.

A large image size 10" x 7" approx, is available.  Reproduced from the original negative / photo under license from MPL, the copyright holder.  A signed numbered certificate is supplied. Price £25.   Order photograph here   Order Code  XMP3429

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HMAS Supply, December 1975.

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A reproduction of this original photo / photo-postcard size 10" x 7" approx available.  Order photograph here  © Walker Archive. Order Code PAN170

Aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney

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HMS Australia c.1914

This photograph shows the crew of the Protector, a gunboat sent by South Australia to China in 1900. Her Captain was W R Cresswell who was a retired naval officer and CMG.

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