“Waterhen” might sound like just another place. But HMAS Waterhen is a vital Royal Australian Navy base steeped in history. It is located in Waverton on Sydney’s lower north shore.
Before HMAS Waterhen existed, this area was a large hill. It overlooked Balls Head Bay. In the 1930s, sandstone was quarried from this hill. It was used to construct a graving dock and land bridge at Garden Island. This dramatically altered the landscape. The site became a sheer cliff-face and near-water level plateau.
During World War II, the area was used to store netting for the Sydney Harbour anti-submarine boom net. The location was under military control from March 1943. This lasted until the end of the war.
In 1962, HMAS Waterhen was commissioned as a base. It became home to the RAN’s mine warfare forces. It was the first small-ship base established by the RAN. From 1969 to 1979, it also oversaw the RAN’s patrol boat forces.
Initially, HMAS Waterhen had minimal facilities. The River class frigate HMAS Culgoa served as a barracks ship. This continued until June 1971. In March 1969, the base expanded to include command of the RAN’s patrol boat forces.
The 1980s saw an upgrade attempt with the Bay-class minehunters. However, problems led the RAN to rely on minesweeper auxiliaries. These were converted from civilian vessels. The Huon-class minehunters arrived in the late 1990s.
Recognizing the need for better facilities, HMAS Waterhen underwent a major upgrade from 1994 to 1996. The entire base was levelled. New buildings, wharves, and facilities were installed. The project cost A$70 million. It finished eight months ahead of schedule.
Today, HMAS Waterhen houses the Australian Navy Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Group. This includes Clearance Diving Team One. It also includes four Huon-class minehunters. HMAS Huon, HMAS Gascoyne, HMAS Diamantina and HMAS Yarra call this place home.
HMAS Waterhen also supports various support vessels. These include Diving Tender Seal. Also, the navigation training vessel Seahorse Mercator. Plus, multi-role aircraft training vessel MV Sycamore.
The base also supports the Landing Craft. These are associated with the Canberra-class Landing Helicopter Docks. Maintenance and training for these craft are also conducted here.
Interestingly, the first season of the TV series Sea Patrol was filmed at HMAS Waterhen. The base represented a fictional naval base. The decommissioned HMAS Wollongong was used for filming scenes of a patrol boat docked at base.
HMAS Waterhen stands as a testament to Australia’s naval history. It continues to play a crucial role in the defense of the nation. Its transformation from a quarry to a modern naval base is a remarkable story.