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SS 60 Oberon SSK

On 22 January 1963, with the Royal Navy (RN) intending to withdraw the Fourth Submarine Squadron from its base in Sydney, the Minister for the Navy, Senator John Gorton, announced Cabinet approval for the purchase of eight Oberon, or 'O', Class submarines for the RAN, though the order was later reduced to six. The Government announced approval for the building of four new Oberon Class submarines in Scotland, the first being laid down on 2 July 1964. The Oberons were designed for both anti-surface and anti-submarine roles and had great offensive capability with eight torpedo tubes, six in the bow and two in the stern. They were equipped with a modern communications suite, were well designed for very quiet submerged running, and employed the 'flying concept' control system, which utilised a steering wheel, similar to an aeroplane's 'joystick', and enabled one person (instead of five) to handle the submarine.

The Oberon Class Submarines were first acquired in 1967 and were the first Australian submarines since the decommissioning of the K9 in 1944. In the interim, The Royal Navy Fourth Submarine Flotilla was based in Australia and utilized only for anti-submarine training, by both the Australian and New Zealand navies and air forces. In the early 1960s, strategic thinking started to change and it was recognized that an 'operational submarine strike force' would be a worthwhile acquisition for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The conventional diesel-electric submarines were preferred over the nuclear powered submarines, primarily because of cost. In 1963, Australian government approval was given for the construction of eight Oberon Class submarines in the UK. The Oberon Class was developed from the Porpoise Class and at the time was considered to be a very efficient and effective submarine in that it could recharge its batteries and exchange air while submerged and was very quiet whilst running, thus avoiding detection.

HMA Submarine Oxley (II), the first Oberon class submarine built for the RAN, was laid down at Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Scotland on 2 July 1964 and launched on 24 September 1965 by Lady Mary Downer, the wife of the then Australian High Commissioner to Britain, Sir Alexander Downer. In 1966, a standby party of 25 officers and sailors, trained in RN submarines, were posted to stand by their boat and assist in trials until her commissioning the following year.

Trials were completed on 27 March 1967 and Oxley was commissioned into the RAN on 18 April under the command of Lieutenant Commander David Lorrimer, RAN. The crew completed work-up before departing Portsmouth for Australia on 12 June, via Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama and Pearl Harbor. She arrived in Sydney on 18 August, coinciding with the commissioning of the RAN's new submarine base, HMAS Platypus, and the transfer of the Fourth Submarine Squadron from the Royal Navy to the RAN. The Squadron was temporarily completed by HM Submarines Tabard and Trump, while HMA Submarines Otway, Ovens and Onslow were under construction.

Oxley visited Hobart for Australia Day in 1968 and, on 22 March, escorted Tabard through Sydney Heads as the RN submarine returned to the United Kingdom after a 7 ½ year attachment with the RAN. Oxley participated in her first anti-submarine exercises that June in East Australian waters, which also involved Trump and ships and aircraft from the RAN, Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). Oxley's first overseas deployment followed in July with anti-submarine exercises in New Zealand waters involving units from the RAN, RN and RNZN.

The submarine made a brief visit to Noumea at the end of September before returning to Australia to participate in Exercise CORAL SANDS involving more than 50 warships and 18,000 personnel from Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The exercise ended on 14 October with a Fleet Entry into Sydney Harbour led by the RN aircraft carrier, HMS Hermes, and witnessed by thousands of people on harbourside vantage points. On 7 October 1968, HMAS Otway joined the Submarine Squadron and on New Year's Day 1969, the Squadron changed its title to the First Australian Submarine Squadron. On 10 January Trump departed for the UK marking the end of the British submarine presence in Australia.

The HMAS Oxley was commissioned on 27 March 1967 and HMAS PLATYPUS, the submarine squadron base, was commissioned on the same day, hence the Fourth Submarine Squadron (RAN) was formed. HMAS OXLEY arrived at HMAS Platypus in Neutral Bay, Sydney on 18 August 1967. OXLEY was followed by HMAS OTWAY in 1968, HMAS OVENS and HMAS ONSLOW in 1969, HMAS ORION in 1977 and finally HMAS OTAMA in 1978 to complete the squadron with six submarines instead of the original eight.

The second of the Oberon Class submarines, HMAS Otway, was commissioned on 22 April 1968 and arrived in Sydney in October of the same year. HMAS Ovens was commissioned on 18 April 1969. The fourth and last boat of the initial order of submarines was HMAS Onslow, which was commissioned on 22 December 1969 and arrived in Sydney in July 1970.

In the early 1970's, a second order of two Oberon Class submarines was placed for delivery in 1975 and 1976. HMAS Orion became the fifth 'O' Boat, and was commissioned on 15 June 1977, sailing into Sydney for the first time in July 1978. The final submarine was commissioned HMAS Otama on 27 April 1978 and joined her sisters at HMAS Platypus in December 1978. Otama was the last of six Oberon class submarines built for the Royal Australian Navy and was the last of thirty five Porpoise and Oberon class submarines built for the navies of the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Chile and Australia.

On 20 September 1987, HMAS Oxley became the first submarine to be home ported at HMAS Stirling, and she served there until she was decommissioned in February 1992. The Oberons were not involved in conflict while they were in commission, but were invaluable during their service. The five remaining Oberon submarines were phased out over the ensuing period as the new Collins Class submarines started to be commissioned.

The Oberon class submarines were designed assurface boats which can run submerged. In contrast, the Collins class submarines are designed to run submerged andsurface infrequently to 'snort'. The output of the Collins class submarine project was a quantum jump on the 1950s Oberon classpurchased from the United Kingdom since the 1960s.

Defence stated in April 1988 that in the current strategic circumstances, its reduced capability of two operational Oberon class submarines (Onslow and Otama) was acceptable. Due to delays, commissioning of the Collins class submarines would not coincide with de-commissioning of the Oberon class submarines. In March 1999 the Oberon submarine Onslow decommissioned, and submarine capability was reduced to one fully operational Oberon, the Otama. class. The one Collins submarine operating in the fleet was used for training purposes and to gain further experience. The last remaining Oberon submarine, HMAS OTAMA was decommissioned on 15 December 2000. HMAS Oxley was scrapped not long after her decommissioning at HMAS Stirling. Her bow was preserved and is on display at the WA Maritime Museum and her fin stands as an inspiration to future submariners out the front of the Submarine Training Systems Centre at HMAS Stirling in WA.

Between 1971 and 1991, the Vickers Cockatoo Dockyard Limited (from 1984) Cockatoo Dockyard Pty Ltd, completed 14 refits, 15 mid-cycle survey dockings and 39 intermediate dockings of the submarines HMAS Oxley, HMAS Otway, HMAS Ovens, HMAS Onslow, HMAS Orion and HMAS Otama. In addition, HMS Odin, belonging to the UK Government and stationed in Australia with the Australian Submarine Squadron, was docked for work in 1974 and 1975. In the 1960s Cockatoo Island constructed Empress of Australia, the largest roll-on roll-off cargo passenger ship in the world. The last ship constructed on the island was HMAS Success, the largest naval vessel built in Australia. The refit of Oberon Class submarines was the main task of Cockatoo Island in the two decades to 1992 when the dockyard closed.

In subsequent years, concerns have been raised regarding the poor working conditions experience by Navy personnel deployed on the Oberon Class submarines, and the potential adverse health effects of this environment. There has been anecdotal evidence from personnel who served on the Oberon submarines of several health conditions they believed to have been caused by their work. In addition, many current and former submariners have had difficulty in having Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) claims accepted due to the lack of recognition of the hazards experienced during their submarine service.

The Oberon class of submarines were in Australian service from 1967 to 2000. Their missions, like those of any such service, were withheld from all but the most senior members of government and defence, and remain classified to this day. But it is possible to give a sense of the kind of life the submariners led. The Oberon-class submarine was technologically advanced for its time. Designed from lessons learnt during the Second World War, it was one of the quietest conventional submarines operating in the world. Its stealth, endurance and difficulty of detection made it excellent for covert operations.

The former HMAS Otama departed Fleet Base West under tow by the tug Southern Salvor on 13 May 2002, for her final resting place in Hastings Victoria. It is intended that Otama will be taken from the water and become the centerpiece of a Naval Memorial Park at Hastings. Of the RAN's other five Oberon-class submarines: Oxley was scrapped, Ovens was gifted to the WA Maritime Museum in Fremantle, Otama gifted to Holbrook NSW, Onslow to the National Maritime Museum in Sydney, and Orion, to Western Australia. She is laid-up awaiting a decision by the WA Government on her final resting place.