[naturalman1975]

These people live next door to a Naval Base that has been in existence for 159 years (originally established as a base for the Royal Navy in 1856, it was handed over to the Royal Australian Navy on its establishment in 1911). It's Fleet Base East, one of Australia's two main fleet bases, where most of our large ships are home ported. Now they are complaining about the fact that the RAN actually docks warships at a Naval base!

HMAS Canberra (and her sister Adelaide which is still undergoing final fit out and is not yet commissioned) is the largest warship Australia has ever put to sea. While she certainly isn't as large as the full size Aircraft Carriers a few navies (like the USN has - of course, the USN has most of the world's large carriers) she's a sizeable ship so I can understand she's surprised some of these people - but they chose to live next to a Naval base.

If I was in charge, and they kept complaining, I'd probably start dropping hints about the idea that with two large ships like that we might need to expand the Naval base and compulsorily acquire nearby homes... or maybe there's just a need for us to get some new housing near the base for the sailors who serve on these ships.

[colorado tanker]

Nice looking ship.

[Moltke]

Would they prefer the sight of a Chinese or Russian war ship right there?

Choices, choices...

[moovova]

...or, some night-time touch & go exercises from the stationery ship.

[Red_Devil 232]

It is a Big ship

[hosepipe]

[Ed Condon]

Thank you for the info, and your service, Digger.

[RaceBannon]

USS Canberra in 1980 in the Pacific Ocean, near the Philippines, WESPAC 1980, about February

[Veggie Todd]

Most residents told the Courier they accepted the need for activity at the base, but questioned why the ships could not dock elsewhere.

Yeah, go block the views of poor people.

[RaceBannon]

oops

HMAS Canberra (How do the Aussies label their ships, anyways?)

[SZonian]

Hmmm, I’m guessing I could snap up a residence or 2 there on the cheap right about now...

Looking at Naval ships doesn’t bother me at all.

[bkopto]

I can’t understand what those folks are complaining about. I’d love to have a view of that great ship and of all the ancillary activity it generates. Forget the harbor.

[Rashputin]

My Old Man served on the Ellet DD 398 and there were only three things he'd ever talk about. The Doolittle raid, torpedoing the HMAS Canberra off Savo Island, and rescuing survivors from a cruiser during the Solomans Campaign.

[BluH2o]

This sort of situation happens fairly frequently. An airport is built decades back well away from residential and commercial establishments. Developers build homes, shopping centers, etc., in the area over the ensuing years and you know the rest of the story. An acquaintance of mine bought a kennel in what was a rural area outside of a mid-size city in Ohio. The kennel thrived due to their hard work and was expanded in time. Then slowly the area around them began to build up with suburban homes ... and, of course, the complaints began.

[aomagrat]

These complainers must be related to the person who called me a baby killer when my ship docked there in 1993.