International Fleet Review 2013 (Part 1) Centenary Year

In late 2011 the Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs extended an invitation to over 50 nations to send either a warship or tall ship or both types of ship to participate in an International Fleet Review to be held in Sydney from 3rd to the 11th of October 2013 A long list of countries agreed to attend including the Defence Co-operation countries of Indonesia Malaysia Thailand and New Zealand as well as Papua New Guinea Tonga and Micronesia The purpose of the review was to commemorate the centenary of the first entry of the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet into Sydney Harbour on the 4th of October 1913 a hundred years earlier At that time the Australian Fleet comprising seven ships entered Sydney Harbour and was greeted by thousands of cheering citizens

Listening Module 01 (6-7) – International Fleet Review Part 1 – Centenary Year lining the foreshore This was a moment of great importance and national pride as it was a sign of Australia's progress towards becoming a nation Reasons for holding a Fleet Review vary but they were originally held when a fleet mobilised for war or when a nation wanted to demonstrate the strength of its fleet to potential enemies In Australia from the early part of the twentieth century it became customary for the Royal Navy to host a review to mark the coronation and significant jubilees of the reigning monarch The last commemorative review held by the Royal Navy was in 1977 to mark the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II More recently on 4th of October 1986 the RAN held a Naval Assembly and Review in honour of the 75th anniversary of the granting of its Royal title The Duke of Edinburgh was the presiding officer and 27 ships

Listening Module 01 (6-7) – International Fleet Review Part 1 – Centenary Year from seven nations took part This was the first time the Sydney Harbour Bridge was used for fireworks display.

Plans had been made to host a Centennial Naval Salute in 2001 during the Centenary of Federation celebrations however, owing to the terrorist events of the 11th of September of that year in Washington and New York the review was cancelled

The International Fleet Review is a high profile international event with approximately forty warships from the Royal Australian Navy and navies from around the world as well as up to sixteen tall ships attending They were joined by over sixty military civilian and heritage aircraft as well as more than ten military bands Eight thousand Australian and foreign naval personnel were in Sydney for the event. The RAN Sea Power Conference 2013 and Pacific 2013

Listening Module 01 (6-7) – International Fleet Review Part 1 – Centenary Year International Maritime Congress and Exposition were also scheduled to take place at Sydney from the 7th of October 2013 to coincide with the International Fleet Review

Listening Module 01 (6-7) – International Fleet Review Part 1 – Centenary Year