Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell

On 7 November 1911 the Australian Parliament selected the site of Captain's Point in the Jervis Bay Territory on the south coast of New South Wales, near Nowra, for the Royal Australian Naval College.[1] While the new college was built, RANC was temporarily located at Osborne House, Geelong. Osborne House had been considered as a permanent location for the College.[2]

Construction of the main college buildings was completed in 1915. The senior staff bungalows were designed by John Smith Murdoch, later the Chief Architect of the Commonwealth of Australia and designer of the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra.

The first intake consisted of 13-year old boys, who stayed at the college for four years. The first graduation parade took place on 12 December 1916 before the Governor-General, Sir Ronald Munro-Ferguson. The graduates were 23 members of the 1913 Entry, known as the Pioneer class. On graduation they were promoted to Midshipmen and joined the Grand Fleet where they saw war service.[3]

The RANC, then consisting of the first two entries of cadet midshipmen, moved to Jervis Bay on 10 February 1915. It was moved to Flinders Naval Depot in 1930 to reduce costs during the Great Depression. To reduce overcrowding at the depot, the college moved once again to Captain's Point in 1958. The establishment at Captain's Point was renamed HMAS Creswell in honour of Sir William Rooke Creswell, a former Lieutenant in the Royal Navy who was an important colonial naval officer, was instrumental to the formation of an independent Australian navy, and served as the First Naval Member of the Naval Board from 1911 to 1919.

Royal Australian Navy vessels and HMAS Creswell.

Located at Creswell is the Royal Australian Naval College (RANC), Australia's authority for the basic and leadership training of officers for service in the Royal Australian Navy. The main course run by the College is the 22-week New Entry Officers' Course which provides initial entry training for most of the RAN's officers.[4] The RANC also conducts the residential component of the Reserve Entry Officers' Course.[5] Further training for officers such as the Junior Officers' Leadership Course and the Junior Officers' Management and Staff Course also take place at the RANC; and there is the one-week residential Undergraduate Entry Officers' Course that provides junior officers who are undertaking university studies, to have a fundamental understanding of the Navy.[6]

New Entry Officers' Course

The New Entry Officers' Course (NEOC) is undertaken by direct entry officers, graduate entry officers, and candidates[4] who intend to proceed to the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) to gain their degree. Generally, trainees who have no university education or a three-year degree enter the college as Midshipmen, whilst trainees with significant experience or more university education enter as Sub-Lieutenants, Lieutenants and Chaplains. Under the Naval Officer Year One (NOYO) scheme introduced in 2000, Midshipmen attending ADFA spend their first year on NEOC and, for Junior Warfare and Supply Officers, on initial phases of their respective application courses before progressing to the Academy.

After completing training at the College, officers proceed to other establishments for primary qualification training. Locations include HMAS Watson, for Junior Warfare Officers (formerly known as Seamen Officers), and Cerberus, for Electronics Engineer, Marine Engineer and Supply officers.

Members of the New Entry Officers' Course 54 perform an 'eyes right' as they march past.

Subjects studied at NEOC include:[4]

• Military training, including drill, discipline, command, wearing of the uniform, parade and ceremony
• Proficiency on the ADF's service firearm, the F88 Austeyr
• Physical training and fitness
• RAN History
• Survival at sea
• Sea combat survivability
• Naval weapons and technology
• Maritime studies including boatwork and basic seamanship
• Leadership and command studies
• RAN rank, organisational and operational structure

The course includes two periods of sea training:

• One week sea familiarisation course, where the basics of seamanship taught in the classroom are applied in practice
• Four week Sea Training Deployment, where the trainees become crew members of a Major Fleet Unit, and accompany the ship for whatever activities it is undertaking at the time

• Rear Admiral Otto Becher RAN
• Captain Joseph Burnett RAN
• Vice Admiral Sir John Augustine Collins KBE, CB, RAN
• Captain Emile Frank Verlaine Dechaineux DSC, RAN
• Rear Admiral Harold B. Farncomb CB, DSO, MVO, RAN
• Rear Admiral Galfry Gatacre CBE, DSC, DSO, RAN
• Commodore Sir James Maxwell Ramsay KCMG, KCVO, CBE, DSC, RAN
• Lieutenant Commander Robert William "Oscar" Rankin RAN
• Captain Hector Waller DSO & Bar, RAN

• List of Royal Australian Navy bases

• Official Royal Australian Naval College website
• NEOC Joining Instructions
• Six-part documentary about life at NEOC, produced by the RAN
• Royal Australian Naval College - YouTube