HMAS Newcastle will pay one final visit to its namesake port next week, more than 25-years after it was commissioned in 1993.
The Frigate will arrive on Wednesday, before a march by the ship’s company on Saturday.
At the helm for its final journey through the heads will be local Anita Sellick, who took command of the vessel early last year.
Newcastle was the first major Australian fleet vessel to bear the name of a non-capital city.
Her arrival and departure the following Tuesday will be marked with a seven-gun salute from Fort Scratchley.
Officially commissioned in 1993 by Mrs Margaret McNaughton AM, the ship has maintained close links with the Hunter community, through the support of charity organisation, Newcastle Senior School.
The Adelaide Class vessel will be decommissioned in Sydney in coming months, after more than a quarter of a century of service.
During that time, she’s been deployed as part of peacekeeping operations in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Operation Catalyst in the Persian Gulf.
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Wednesday 12 June – HMAS Newcastle arrives
Saturday 15 June – Freedom of Entry March commences at 10am, with the best vantage point at Civic Park.
Tuesday 18 June – HMAS Newcastle departs
