T E RRY HA S T I N G S

STUDYGUIDE ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

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AUSTRALIAN FILM FINANCE CORPORATION. A BECKER ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION.
 INTRODUCING UNFIT TO in the Vietnam War and Australian
COMMAND troop commitment had reached its
peak. Against this background and in
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY DAVID the context of Australian defence ties
SALTER with the USA and the region (it had
become a member of the South East

W hen the aircraft carrier HMAS Mel-

bourne sliced the destroyer HMAS
Voyager in half during night manoeuvres
Asian Treaty organization in 1954), the
Australian government wanted to be
regarded as a strong and dependable
off the coast of NSW on 10 February ally. However the Voyager catastrophe
1964, a shocked nation looked to its cast doubt on the competence of the
government for answers. Eighty-two Royal Australian Navy.
men had died, making the disaster the
largest loss of life in Australian peace- In these circumstances, the govern-
time history. At the time of the collision, ment wanted to lay the Voyager matter entitlements when he resigned from the
the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister quickly and publicly to rest. It quickly navy under duress.
Robert Menzies, had been in power convened a Royal Commission, received
for fifteen years. To many Australians, its findings then moved on to other mat- Unfit to Command investigates the Mel-
Menzies embodied the political stability, ters. Unfit to Command contends that bourne-Voyager disaster in the context
rapid economic growth and traditional the first Royal Commission was a highly of the 1960s and examines its effects on
family values that characterized Australia flawed process. It overlooked, misun- the lives of politicians, naval personnel
in the post-war period. Menzies’ domi- derstood or ignored vital evidence and and their families, as well as the policies
nance on the political scene seemed to unjustly apportioned blame to Captain and practices of Royal Commissions
provide a comforting sense of national John Robertson of HMAS Melbourne. and the Royal Australian Navy.
security and economic prosperity.
The re-opening of the Voyager case and Did the tragedy signify the beginning
However the era of Robert Menzies as the calling of a second inquiry into the of the end for a Liberal Party govern-
Prime Minister was nearing its end. In tragedy is a story of personal courage ment that had become complacent?
1966 he retired to be replaced by his and high drama. Breaking with long Were there sinister forces of power and
privilege acting in concert to conceal the
truth? What lasting changes in govern-
ment and military practices resulted
from the tragedy or have its lessons
been too easily forgotten?

USING UNFIT TO COMMAND IN

THE CLASSROOM

The nature of the relationships between

government, the armed forces and the
media are central issues in Unfit to
Command. The documentary examines
themes of loyalty, justice and respon-
nominated Liberal successor, Harold established conventions, Liberal back- sibility and raises questions about the
Holt. The Voyager incident itself and the benchers John Jess and Edward St reliability of evidence. It is of specific
initial investigations took place in 1964 John used the parliament to attack their interest and relevance to teachers and
during Menzies’ administration, but by own party. In doing so they sacrificed students of:
the time the second Royal Commission their political careers but righted a great
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

reported its findings, John Gorton was injustice. The government was forced • Studies of Society & Environment
Prime Minister. into calling a second Royal Commission (SOSE/HSIE)
which examined new evidence about • English
The Melbourne-Voyager controversy the drinking habits and state of health • History
also occurred at a time of critical of HMAS Voyager Captain Duncan Ste- • Politics
importance for Australia’s national vens. Consequently the findings of the • Media Studies
security and defence. Between 1962- first Royal Commission were overturned
1966 it was deeply concerned about and Captain Robertson was cleared of LEARNING OUTCOMES
Indonesia’s fierce opposition (‘konfron- any fault. The government finally granted
tasi’) to the formation of the Malaysian him an ex-gratia payment to compen- • Critically compare representations
2 state. By 1967 it was deeply involved sate for the £65,000 he lost in pension of people, events and issues.

L-R: MEMORIAL CHAPEL HMAS WATSON – THE CREW FILM THE PEW DEDICATED TO THE VICTIMS OF THE VOYAGER DISASTER • VOYAGER
MEMORIAL—THE MODEST BRONZE PLAQUE IN MEMORY OF THE VOYAGER VICTIMS SITS AT THE ENTRANCE TO A SMALL PARK AT
HUSKISSON ON THE NSW SOUTH COAST
 STATISTICS: HMAS MELBOURNE

- Majestic Class Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier

- Displacement (tons):14,224 Standard
• Explain how causes, motives and middle of a ship lengthwise. 18,085 Full Load
consequences may be related. • boiler room – lower section of ship - Dimensions (feet): 630 x 80 x 25
• Analyse ways in which review where boilers are housed. - Propulsion: Steam turbines
or reform has been or could be • bow – the front or forepart of a - Max. Speed (knots): 25
achieved through political and legal ship.
systems. • bridge – a raised section of a ship
• Discuss the logic of and evidence from which the captain gives com- trast to a job on board a vessel).
for an argument or viewpoint. mands and directions. • starboard – right; to turn a ship
• Draw on a repertoire of strategies • court-martial – a court held by of- right.
to maintain understanding through ficers to try alleged offences under • stern – the rear or hindpart of a
a dense or extended text. military law. ship.
• Identify and comment on the impact • flagship – the pre-eminent ship of
of techniques intended to shape a fleet; the ship used to carry the THE TWO SHIPS
readers’ and viewers’ interpreta- admiral and fly his flag.
tions of and reactions to a text. • ‘hands to collision stations’ – an Originally called HMS Majestic, the air-
order for ship’s crew to go to emer- craft carrier HMAS Melbourne was laid
BEFORE WATCHING THE gency positions in readiness for down in Britain in 1943 and sold to the
DOCUMENTARY further action. Australian government in 1949. After
• HMAS – His (or Her) Majesty’s Aus- extensive modifications the ship was
• Read and discuss the Glossary of tralian Ship commissioned in the Royal Australian
key terms. • Jervis Bay – a port near Nowra, Navy in October 1955.
• Research the history and traditions NSW. A Royal Australian Navy officer
of the RAN on the official web site training college is situated ashore at As Australia’s flagship for twenty-six
http://www.navy.gov.au/6_facts/ HMAS Cresswell. years, she served in the Malayan crisis
1_tradition.htm • knot – a measurement of a vessel’s and the Vietnam War. She also took part
• Draw a map of the Jervis Bay area speed calculated as one nautical in exercises with other nations and rep-
marking on it HMAS Creswell and mile (approx. 1.8532 km.) per hour. resented Australia in overseas celebra-
the approximate location (20 kms • port – left; to turn a ship left. tions. During her service she steamed
southeast of Point Perpendicular) • quartermaster – a petty of-
where the collision occurred. ficer who looks after steering,
• Discuss the concepts of tradition, signals etc.
loyalty and justice by giving exam- • RAN – Royal Australian
ples of them from personal experi- Navy.
ence and/or everyday life. • Royal Commission – a gov-
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

ernment appointed inquiry

GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS into an issue.
• shore posting – a naval term
An understanding of some of these for a naval job on land (in con-
terms prior to viewing will assist
overall comprehension of the docu-
mentary: STATISTICS: HMAS VOYAGER

• aft – near or towards the stern of - Daring Class Destroyer

a ship. - Displacement (tons): 2,800 Standard,
• amidships – near or towards the
-
3,550 Full Load
Dimensions (feet): 390 x 43 x 12.5
3
- Propulsion: English Electric Geared Turbines
- Max. Speed (knots): 30
 that are based on a comparison of the THE TWO CAPTAINS
two ships:
Both Captain John Robertson and Cap-
• Proportionally, how much larger tain Duncan Stevens were recruited to
was HMAS Melbourne than HMAS the RAN as thirteen year old midship-
Voyager? men. In the documentary, author Tom
• What instructions was HMAS Voy- Frame says of this system:
ager required to follow when acting
as an aircraft carrier escort? If you take a thirteen-year-old boy and
• While at sea, an aircraft carrier must take away his formative years and in
search for correct wind conditions to many ways replace them with a rig-
enable planes to take off and land on orous regime of—[what] one might
its flight deck. What manoeuvre did call—indoctrination, of making them
Captain Robertson order Voyager to ex- believe that they are special, they begin
ecute and what actually happened? to believe very much in themselves, in
868,893 nautical miles or 1,579,804 • The narrator says: From forty-five their abilities, their place in the world,
kilometres, equivalent to forty times seconds before impact, there was their place in Australian society. They
the circumference of the earth. nothing either ship could do. Captain begin to believe that this is almost like a
Robertson states: ‘It all happened monastic order.
The Destroyer HMAS Voyager was re- so quickly. One minute all was well
garded as one of the most modern ships and literally one minute later, all was The documentary presents broad char-
of its time. Built at the Cockatoo Island not well and there was the collision.’ acter studies of the two men both as
Dockyards in Sydney, it was launched How does knowing the comparative cadets at study and later, as captains
in 1952 and combined a strong, light sizes and speeds of the two ships of their own ships.
aluminium alloy superstructure with help us to understand why the cap-
speed and maximum armament. With tains would have found it difficult to ACTIVITY – RISING THROUGH THE
large guns, anti-aircraft guns, avoid a collision? RANKS
torpedo launchers and anti-sub-
marine mortars, the destroyer (See Rank Structure chart)
had considerable fighting ability.
Its primary service was to pro-
vide aircraft carrier escort and it
travelled extensively on tours of
FROM TOP: CAPTAIN
duty in South East Asia, Japan ROBERTSON • BETTINE
and around the Australian coast. ROBERTSON - WIFE OF
MELBOURNE CAPTAIN
JOHN ROBERTSON, 1944-
ACTIVITY – SETTING THE SCENE 73 • CAPTAIN STEVENS
SEATED ON THE CHAIR
Use the documentary and the informa- IN WHICH HE DIED WHILE
COMMANDING VOYAGER
tion above to answer these questions
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

4
 RANK STRUCTURE
The rank structure of the
RAN is an important way COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
of maintaining discipline Admiral of the Fleet (FADM)
and establishing a line
Wartime Use Only For this
of command. Protocols
Rank
such as using deferen-
tial language and the Admiral (ADML)
rituals of saluting help to
Vice Admiral (VADM)
reinforce the naval hier-
archy. However they may Rear Admiral (RADM)
also sometimes impose Commodore (CDRE)
a counter-productive
rigidity where ‘pulling Principal Chaplain Div 5
rank’ might be used to (PCHA 5)
intimidate lower rank- Principal Chaplain Div 4b
ing officers into silence, (PCHA 4b)
deference or obedience.
Captain (CAPT)
An example of this in the
documentary is a discus- Senior Chaplain Div 4a
sion Peter Cabban says (SCHA 4a)
he had with Captain Commander (CMDR)
Stevens. Cabban asked:
‘What do I do with you Senior Chaplain Div 3
when you’re drunk? He (SCHA 3)
said “Just say Sir, you’re Chaplain Div 2 (CHAP 2)
drunk but you must call
Chaplain Div 1 (CHAP 1)
me Sir.”’
Lieutenant Commander
Use the documentary and the diagram of mission into the Voyager disaster. (LCDR)
ranks (right) as resources to discuss the fol-
Lieutenant (LEUT)
lowing questions: • What images of the RAN does it seek to
promote? Sub Lieutenant (SBLT)
• What advantages and disadvantages • After viewing the documentary, how Acting Sub Lieutenant
might arise out of recruiting 13-year-old many of the poster’s claims seem con- (ASLT)
boys to naval service? vincing?
• What does the narrator tell us about the • What effect do you think the Voyager Midshipman (MIDN)
personal characteristics of the two cap- disaster might have had on the RAN’s
tains, Robertson and Stevens? ability attract new recruits?
NON-COMMISSIONED
• Unfit to Command makes use of many
OFFICERS
photographs and interviews with ex-navy LOYALTY
& SAILORS
personnel to explain the collision and its
consequences. Study the hierarchy of The theme of loyalty permeates Unfit to Warrant Officer of the Navy
naval ranks in the diagram, then arrange Command. What do you understand by this (WO-N)
the following individuals seen in the term? For example, is loyalty the same thing Warrant Officer (WO)
documentary in order of their rank: Mid- as patriotism or obedience?
shipman Kingsley Perry, Captain Duncan Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
Stevens, Lieutenant-Commander Peter We probably all have some expectations of Petty Officer (PO)
Cabban, Petty Officer Len Price, Vice loyalty. Most of us feel a sense of loyalty to
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

Leading Seaman (LS)

Admiral Sir Hastings Harrington. our families, our workmates or to the sporting
• How does a knowledge of naval ranks teams we follow. Loyalty binds us together with Able Seaman (AB)
contribute to our understanding of the feelings of group identity and mutual respect.
Seaman (SMN)
Melbourne–Voyager collision and the That is why, when we give loyalty to others,
investigations that followed? we expect them to give it to us in return. Com- Seaman (Star) (SMN*)
mon Australian sayings like ‘stick up for your Recruit (RCT)
ACTIVITY – ANALYSE A RECRUITING POSTER mates’ and ‘don’t dob on your mates’ empha-
size loyalty and describe expected standards
This recruiting poster was published in a of behaviour. If we break these standards, we
Melbourne newspaper only months before run the risk of disapproval or even hostility from
the establishment of the second Royal Com- the people we have offended. 5
 Loyalty also operates at a national level. GROUP ACTIVITY – STICKING
Like the other defence forces, members TOGETHER
of the RAN swear an oath of allegiance
to Australia. They share special bonds (See Loyalty diagram)
of loyalty with other servicemen and
women who have the responsibility After viewing Unfit to Command, form
of defending the nation from invasion groups of about three or four to identify
or attack. As a member of the RAN, the examples of loyalty or disloyalty Dr Tom Frame – naval historian and author of
Captain John Robertson expected shown in the documentary. Use the the book Where Fate Calls, a detailed account
this loyalty from his colleagues. The diagram below to record your ideas of the Melbourne/Voyager collision
Robertson family and their supporters or develop your own concept map to
were not only outraged by the unjust show the loyalties between individuals
conclusions of the first Royal Commis- and groups. As a whole class, compare
sion but felt betrayed when intimate and discuss your findings with those of ACTIVITY – BREAKING TRADITION
bonds of loyalty were broken. Captain other groups.
Robertson’s widow Bettine says in the Draw the following table in your work-
documentary: ‘The blatant disloyalty of TRADITION book and complete the last column
the Naval Board was just so apparent, (Breaking tradition) with evidence from
just terrible’. The following of long established tradi- the documentary.
tions can provide society with a sense of
(see chart 01)
RAN Family
JUSTICE

There is an old saying that justice de-

layed is justice denied. Captain John
LOYA LTY Robertson had to wait three long years
before a second Royal Commission
cleared him of any responsibility for
the collision with HMAS Voyager. In the
Political Party Friends meantime, he had resigned from the
RAN, lost his naval pension and suffered
public humiliation. The Burbury Report
In a sense the RAN had been fondly identity and pride. However it can also of the second Royal Commission found
regarded as an extended family and prevent change or be used as an excuse that ‘the sole cause of the collision lay
Captain Robertson naively expected the to conceal mismanagement and injus- with Voyager and the criticism of Rob-
first Royal Commission to treat him fairly. tice. Maybe Captain John Robertson ertson was not justified’.
However as Tom Frame points out: would not have received the justice he
was finally given if ordinary conventions Although Unfit to Command places
The high ideal of maintaining the RAN as and policies had been followed. As you special emphasis on Captain Stevens’
an ‘extended family’, especially among watch Unfit to Command think about drinking problems, the Burbury report
the officer group, could not be sustained the reasons some individuals broke downplayed such evidence. It found
after the loss of Voyager.1 away from convention and challenged simply that
accepted traditions.

TRADITION (THE LONG ESTABLISHED PRACTICE) BREAKING TRADITION

ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

(WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED)

Capt. Duncan Stevens Don’t consume alcohol while on duty at sea.

PM Sir Robert Menzies Allow a Naval Board of Inquiry to investigate any major problems af-
fecting the RAN.

John Jess & Show solidarity with your colleagues and don’t attack your own party.
Edward St John

Harold Holt Don’t interrupt the maiden speeches of new members of parliament.

6 Peter Cabban Defer to higher ranks and keep quiet about private or personal matters.

CHART 01
Stevens was an experienced and com-
petent destroyer captain, well-versed in
the manoeuvres ordered by Melbourne
but at the time of collision he was unfit
to command Voyager as a result of ill
health. 2

ACTIVITY – GETTING TO THE TRUTH

Use the documentary as a resource to

discuss the following questions:

• What evidence does the documen-

tary present to suggest that the first Although the naval hierarchy, notably Garden Island Dock, Sydney – where Melbourne came
TIMELINE after the collision in 1964 to disembark survivors
Royal Commission was a ‘cover up’? Vice Admiral Sir Hastings Harrington,
Was the second Royal Commission tried delaying tactics, the Voyager inci-
also a ‘cover up’? dent was too significant to stay secret
• Did the findings of the second for long. The electronic and print media Unfit to Command reconstructs the
Royal Commission make up for played vital roles in bringing news of story of a historical event that hap-
the injustices suffered by Captain the disaster to the government and pened nearly forty years ago. In gath-
Robertson? the general public. Even Prime Minister ering evidence for the documentary, the
• Were Captain Stevens and the other Menzies knew nothing about the colli- writer/director David Salter makes use of
men killed on Voyager’s bridge also sion until he heard ABC radio news the evidence from two official inquiries, me-
treated justly? following morning. Scenes of the acci- dia reports, interviews with survivors and
dent and its survivors were soon shown witnesses as well as analysis by writers
HANDLING THE NEWS on television, screened in cinemas and and journalists.
printed in newspapers.
Some of this information is what histo-
Unfit to Command shows rians call primary sources. Put simply,
us many examples of con- it means it is firsthand evidence from
temporary media reactions the actual time of the event. Other
to the tragedy. Think about pieces of information are secondary
the powerful role the media sources, constructed later but relying
played in forming public on primary sources as evidence. This
opinion. Three sequences does not mean that primary sources are
in the documentary stand necessarily better or more reliable than
out particularly: secondary sources. For example, how
much could we depend on evidence
• Captain Robertson’s
use of the media to publi-
cise his case.
• A packed press gal-
lery reporting Edward St
John’s maiden speech.
• The huge headline
‘Drunken Duncan’ in Mel-
bourne’s Truth newspa-
per.
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

What impact do you think

these reports would have
had on the Australian pub-
lic? How might they have
influenced the course of
events?

THE NATURE OF
EVIDENCE
7
EDWARD ST JOHN
 1930 John Robertson joins Australian Navy as a 13-year-old cadet.

1936 Duncan Stevens joins Australian Navy as a 13-year-old cadet.

1955 HMAS Melbourne commissioned in the Royal Australian Navy.

1957 HMAS Voyager commissioned in Royal Australian Navy.

from a sailor who was asleep or below

deck at the time of the Melbourne-Voy- 1963 (Jan) Duncan Stevens appointed captain of HMAS Voyager
ager collision?
1964 (Jan) John Robertson appointed captain of HMAS Melbourne.
ACTIVITY – RELIABLE EVIDENCE?
1964 (Feb10) HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager collide 20 miles SE of Jervis Bay,
Imagine you had the following pieces of NSW. 82 men killed (14 officers, 67 ship’s company, 1 civilian.)
information. Think about whether they
are all equally reliable then arrange them
1964 (Aug) Royal Commissioner, Sir John Spicer presents findings of first Royal
in what you consider to be their ‘order of
Commission into the sinking of HMAS Voyager.
reliability’. As a whole class, discuss and
give reasons for your opinions:
1964 (Sept) Captain John Robinson given a shore posting (effectively a demotion)
• An interview with an HMAS Voyager and resigns from Royal Australian Navy.
survivor in the year 2003.
• A statement from Bettine Robertson 1965 At John Robertson’s request, Peter Cabban tape-records a statement
recounting what her husband told about Captain Duncan Stevens’ temperament, drinking habits and ship-
her about the event. handling ability.
• A 1964 newspaper report about the
incident. 1966 Sir Robert Menzies retires as Prime Minister and is succeeded by
• Tom Frame’s statement that Sir Dav- Harold Holt.
id Martin (former gunnery officer on
board HMAS Voyager) admitted ly-
1967 (May) Edward St John, Liberal member for Warringah makes his maiden
ing to the first Royal Commission. speech in parliament. Liberal Govt. is forced to convene a second Royal
• A film clip of the damaged HMAS Commission into the Voyager disaster.
Melbourne sailing slowly back to
the Garden Island dockyards after
1968 Australian Navy alters regulations about consumption of alcohol while
its collision with HMAS Voyager.
at sea.
• A transcript of evidence that Captain
Robertson gave to the second Royal
Commission in 1967. 1968 (March) The Report (the Burbury Report) of second Royal Commission handed to
parliament. It exonerates Captain Robertson.
THE DOCUMENTARY’S
TECHNIQUES 1969 HMAS Melbourne back in active service collides with destroyer USS
Frank E. Evans off coast of Philippines during joint exercises with
While you are watching Unfit to Com- United States navy. 74 US servicemen perish.
mand, take careful note of the way the
documentary brings together many dis- 1980 Captain John Robertson dies aged 63.
parate elements. There are sections of old
newsreels, archival interviews with people
1984 Admiral Sir David Martin, gunnery officer on board Voyager in 1963,
now deceased, photographs, newspaper
admits to author Tom Frame that he gave false evidence to the Royal
headlines, recent interviews with people
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

Commission.
still alive, scenes of Jervis Bay and naval
training as well as comments from the
author Tom Frame, who wrote a book 1985 HMAS Melbourne sold for scrap to China United Shipbuilding Company
about the Melbourne-Voyager collision. for A$1.4 million.
These different components are held
together with a connecting narrative or 1994 Edward St John dies.
‘voiceover’. Note also how the alternate
use of black and white and colour footage 1995 By this year, the Australian government had settled 200 compensation
creates a sense of past and present and cases for survivors and witnesses of the Melbourne-Voyager collision.
helps viewers to locate different parts of About 60 Melbourne claims are still awaiting settlement.
8 the documentary in particular periods of

LEFT: JERVIS BAY. RIGHT: CHART 02

Filming in courtroom – the Unfit for
Command crew evoke the Royal
Commissions from a reconstruction of a
1960s courtroom

time. (see chart 02)

TWO RECENT INCIDENTS

Several recent incidents in the RAN have

again focused attention on the issue of
alcohol consumption at sea. In Febru-
ary 2000 during a drunken party aboard
the Guided Missile Frigate HMAS New-
castle, a group of young sailors held a
27-year-old female sailor over the side
of the ship. Unfortunately the skylarking
crewmen lost hold of her ankles and ac-
cidentally dropped their colleague into
the ocean. An alarm was immediately Although middle-ranking officers had
raised and the sailor was rescued by the discovered the party in the ship’s radar
ship’s small boat within twelve minutes. compartment, they had allowed the il-
Seven sailors were later charged under licit drinking to continue. The navy held
the Defence Force Discipline Act and those officers responsible for Gurr’s
given appropriate punishments. death.

An even more serious incident occurred DRY SHIPS?

on May 3 2002 off Christmas Island. On
board HMAS Darwin, 20-year-old Lead- In 2002, the Chief of Navy, Vice-Admi-
ing Seaman Gurr organized a small party ral Chris Ritchie was quoted as saying
to celebrate his promotion. Leading that sailors have a right to the ‘moder-
Seaman Gurr consumed two cans of ate use of alcohol’. ‘To move to a dry
full-strength beer, one bottle of Crown ship would be draconian … I would not
Lager and at least four ‘slugs’ of spirits wish to drive the whole alcohol culture
in ninety minutes. Around midnight, he underground.’ 3
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

went up to the deck. It had no guardrails

and Gurr fell overboard. His body was The current Drug and Alcohol Program of
never found. the Royal Australian Navy states:

From Top: Frank Syaranamaul – seaman electrician on Melbourne at the time of the
collision. His younger brother was lost on Voyager • Gough Whitlam – Leader of the
Opposition 1967-72 who pressed the Government over the Voyager cover-up • Ian
Sheppard QC – retired judge of the Federal Court, was Counsel Assisting the first Royal
Commission • Maximilian Walsh – Australian Financial Review bureau cheif in 1967 who
reported the dramatic St John maiden speech 9
 Experience has shown that people’s effec- Picture Australia http://www.pictureau
tiveness and judgement can be compro- stralia.org/
mised severely by the use of illegal drugs
and the misuse of alcohol. As the RAN is a Survivor remembers Voyager disaster
technological force that demands high per- http://www.abc.net.au/illawarra/stories/
formance and attention to safety, personnel s784747.htm (RealPlayer audio file)
who are involved in such substance use are
endangering the lives of not only themselves, Requiem for a proud ship HMAS
but of their shipmates as well. 4 Voyager http://www.gunplot.net/
casualties/voyager.html
With other services in the Australian Defence
Forces (ADF), the Royal Australian Navy plans HMAS Voyager: The Ship that Died in
to introduce random testing in January 2004. the Night
Group Captain Bob Cooper, Director Military http://www.bayside-localnet.com.au/
Personnel Policy, Defence Personnel Execu- voyager/
tive maintains that ‘the program will concen-
trate on areas defined as safety critical areas, HMAS Melbourne
and will have an emphasis on helping and re- http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/
taining personnel via a program of education, Ships/MAJESTIC.html
counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.’ 5
RAN Virtual Fleet (Daring Class De-
ACTIVITY stroyers) http://www.navy.gov.au/vf/
intro_21.htm
Imagine you are part of a Naval Board of
Inquiry assessing the role of alcohol in the ENDNOTES
RAN. Use evidence from the documentary 1
Tom Frame, Where Fate Calls: the
and from this study guide to put arguments HMAS Voyager Tragedy, Hodder &
for and against the idea of ‘dry ships’. Stoughton Sydney, 1992. p.354
2
Ibid. p.279.
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 3
Deborah Cameron, ‘Officers to face
action over death’, The Age, 18
Australian Parliament: Loss of HMAS September 2002.
Voyager; papers presented to Parliament, 4
Royal Australian Navy Alcohol
Canberra, Govt. Pr., 1967. and Drug Programme, http:
//www.navy.gov.au/6_facts/2_
Carla Evans, Voices from Voyager : HMAS drug.htm
Voyager / HMAS Melbourne 1964, Clifton 5
‘Random testing gives you an
Springs, Vic. 1999. equal chance’, Navy News, http:
//www.defence.gov.au/news/
David Salter, (Writer & Director) Publicity navynews/editions/4610/topstories/
material for Unfit to Command, 2003. story20.htm

Harold Hickling, One Minute of Time: the Terry Hastings is a Melbourne-based

Melbourne-Voyager collision, Sun Books in freelance writer and researcher.
association with Reed, Melbourne, 1966.
This study guide was produced by ATOM.
FROM TOP: Tony Eggleton – was Harold Hickling, Postscript to Voyager: the For more information about ATOM study
head of Naval Public Relations in Melbourne-Voyager collision, A.H. & A.W. guides or The Speakers’ Bureau visit our
ISSUE 32 AUSTRALIAN SCREEN EDUCATION

1964 and went on to be Press Reed, Sydney, 1969. web site: www.metromagazine.com.au
Secratary to four Liberal PMs • Dr or email: [email protected]
Michael Tiller – doctor on the Voyager
Thomas R. Frame, Where Fate Calls:
in 1963 who confirmed that his
captain, Duncan Stevens, was often the HMAS Voyager Tragedy, Hodder &
drunk • Wallace Brown – Canberra Stoughton Sydney, 1992.
correspondent for The Courier Mail
during the entire Melbourne/Voyager Timothy Hall, HMAS Melbourne, Allen &
saga. TOP RIGHT: HMAS Creswell, Unwin, Sydney, 1982.
Jervis Bay—the beautiful naval college
Unfit to Command is available on video
where Australian’s officers are trained.
The collision took place twenty miles WEB SITES via mail order from:
10 offshore
National Archives of Australia Photo-
ABC Video Program Sales
GPO Box 9994 Sydney 2001 Ph: 1300
Search http://www.naa.gov.au/the_ 650 587 Fx: 02 8333 3975
collection/photosearch.html [email protected]
www.abc.net.au/programsales