BUNBURY navy cadets will have the chance to tour a warship when the Royal Australian Navy’s guided missile frigate HMAS Newcastle visits our shores today.
While the ship will not be open to the public, cadets from TS Bunbury have been invited to gain an insight to the workings of a navy warship.
Bunbury’s Liam Blackburn had the opportunity to visit the ship while she was alongside HMAS Stirling at Garden Island, Western Australia recently.
Liam, who is a Cadet Petty Officer with TS Bunbury, also met with the Navy’s Chief Petty Officer Brett Sellick.
Chief Petty Officer Sellick is originally from Bunbury and was also a cadet at TS Bunbury before joining the navy about 30 years ago.
During their meeting Chief Petty Officer Sellick presented Liam with a framed photograph of the former patrol boat HMAS Bunbury, which was his third sea posting.
Chief Petty Officer Sellick will soon be retiring from the navy and returning to his old cadet unit, TS Bunbury as an instructor to pass on his nautical knowledge to today’s cadets.
For Liam, a Year 11 student at Bunbury Catholic College, the visit to HMAS Newcastle was an opportunity for him to explore a possible career in the navy after he completes Year 12.
“The visit to HMAS Stirling and HMAS Newcastle has been a great opportunity for me to get a better understanding of the Navy and its people,” Liam said.
HMAS Newscastle, under the command of Commander Dominic Macnamara, is planned to visit Bunbury from October 17 to 19.
The ship has been operating in West Australian waters over recent weeks.
If any local youth are interested in joining the Australian Navy Cadets at TS Bunbury, contact the Commanding Officer on 0457 075 592 or visit navycadets.gov.au/ for further information.
