Posted on 03/15/2009 6:25:58 AM PDT by naturalman1975
Sydney Central Business District was a sea of white on Saturday 14 March 2009, as approximately 4,600 Royal Australian Navy personnel marched through the city’s streets. The Freedom of Entry Parade involved the ship’s company from HMAS Ships Sydney, Darwin, Newcastle, Anzac, Ballarat, Stuart, Manoora, Kanimbla, Success, Sirius, Diamantina, Hawkesbury, Yarra, Norman and Gascoyne along with Collins Class Submarine HMAS Farncomb and Navy land establishments HMAS Kuttabul, Waterhen, Watson, Penguin, Harman, Albatross and Creswell. Over 150 Australian Navy cadets also took part in the parade.
Rear Admiral Nigel Coates AM RAN, Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore AM CSC RAN, Commander Australian Navy Systems Command, The Royal Guard and the queens colours salute the Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, as they march past Sydney Town Hall.
A sea of white flows down George Street as sailors and officers of the Royal Australian Navy salute Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC, as they march past Sydney Town Hall.
Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC and with Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane AM, CSM, RAN, review the parade from the Town Hall steps as the queens colours are paraded ahead of officers and sailors of the Royal Australian Navy, as they march down George Street to exercise their Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
Senior Officers of the Royal Australian Navy, Rear Admiral Nigel Coates AM RAN, Commander Australian Fleet and RADM Steve Gilmore AM CSC RAN, Commander Australian Navy Systems Command, salute the Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC and Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane, AM, CSM, RAN, as the parade passes the Town Hall.
As the parade passes the Town Hall, the Royal Guard presents eye's right salute to the Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC and Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Russ Crane, AM, CSM, RAN, as the parade passes the Town Hall.
The Guard Commander escorts the Governor-General of Australia, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce AC as she inspects the Royal Guard prior to the Freedom of Entry Parade through the city of Sydney.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew P Scipione APM challenges the Royal Australian Navy during the Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
The Queens colours lowed during a Royal Salute to the Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC.
Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC, inspecting the saliors of the Royal Guard.
Commanding Officer of HMAS Parramatta, Commander Jonathan Sadleir, RAN holding the Duke of Gloucester Cup with Governor-General, Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC and Rear Admiral Nigel Coates, AM, RAN, Commander Australian Fleet.
Rear Admiral Nigel Coates, AM, RAN, Commander Australian Fleet salutes New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione APM after presenting a scroll affirming their right to march through the streets of Sydney with swords drawn, drums beating and colours flying.
Rear Admiral Nigel Coates, AM, RAN, Commander Australian Fleet marching by the side of Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore AM, CSC, RAN Commander Australian Navy Systems Command at the start of the Freedom of Entry Parade.
A sea of white flows down George Street as the Royal Australian Navy exercises its right to the Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
Royal Australian Navy sailors march down George Street during the Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
Royal Australian Navy sailors march down George Street during the Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
Royal Australian Navy sailors march down George Street during the Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
Royal Australian Navy sailors march down George Street during the Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Nigel Coates, AM, RAN (left) with Commander Australian Navy Systems Command, Rear Admiral Steve Gilmore, AM, CSC, RAN (right) marching during the Freedom of Entry, city of Sydney.
Members of the Royal Guard march though the streets of Sydney during the Freedom of Entry Parade.
Children wave Australian flags as the guard marches through the streets of Sydney during the Freedom of Entry Parade.
The Colour Party Parade the queens colours down George Street, as sailors and officers of the Royal Australian Navy exercise their Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
Rear Admiral Nigel Coates, AM, RAN, Commander Australian Fleet leads sailors and officers of the Royal Australian Navy down George Street, as they exercise their Freedom of Entry to the city of Sydney.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione APM, challenges the Royal Australian Navy led by Rear Admiral Nigel Coates prior to entry to the City of Sydney, during the Royal Australian Navy Freedom of Entry Parade.
A sea of white flows as officers and sailors from the Royal Australian Navy begin their march down George Street in Sydney.
Officers and sailors from the Royal Australian Navy begin their Freedom of Entry Parade down George Street, Sydney.
Great pix...thanks
I have to say I'm impressed. The lady on the right of the Police Commissioner (centre of shot) is the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore. She's a real hippy type. I'm rather surprised but very pleased to see her showing the proper respect for this ceremony by being dressed very appropriately and taken part in the correct fashion. Maybe she's worthy of more respect than I've afforded her in the past.
Magnificent photographs. I love a parade.
Impressive! God bless the Australian Fleet!
Thank you for posting these photos of my home town. Some years ago I was back in Sydney downtown on Anzac Day Morning watching the Diggers march past, it was a big parade headed by a vetern from Galipoli. He was in a jeep at the head of the parade (just before they started to march) and close to one hundred years of age. I ran up to the front of the parade and gave him a hug. He told me that he was very underage when he signed up for military duty in WWI and that his family were in the steel business in the USA. I told him that I lived in the States and I stood there and cried in the middle of the street.
Many nations were featured, some U.S. warships were in port and they sent a marching band to the parade, you could hear them from a distance as they approached, as each country has a different sound and style to their notes and steps. A loud roar went up from the crowd as they swept past. Aussies have always honored their best friends from across the pond.
At the end of the parade a Polish unit of irregulars marched by. My folks were orginally from Lithuania and I joined into their group. As I looked at their uniforms and medals I realized that they were all ex-Soviet markings and medals on Polish uniforms. These guys were all now living in a proud and free country and celebrating this fact, the incongruity of the markings did not matter.
You should be thanking Naturalman1975.
I thought he did. See the first two words of his post.
Well, it’s kind of odd that he posted the reply to me. Maybe they do things differently down under. No matter. The HMAS Australia visited my base a few years back and the guys couldn’t have been nicer. They gave me and a shipmate a tour of their ship and we got polo shirts with the ship’s logo on it. I still wear it today.
Australia=Sydney
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