List of Royal New Zealand Navy bases

Historic ships of the
Royal New Zealand Navy
Alphabetical list

This is a list of commissioned naval bases of the Royal New Zealand Navy from its formation on 1 October 1941 to the present. The Royal New Zealand Navy follows the British tradition of commissioning land naval bases as though they were ships. The administrative structures that work for a ship work just as well for a land establishment. The commander of a ship can become the commander of a land establishment, and be entirely comfortable with the way the place is run. This simplifies the overall administration of the navy. For this reason, naval bases are sometimes referred to as stone frigates.

In earlier times or in wartime, naval bases actually were ships. HMS Philomel was an old cruiser which functioned as New Zealand's first naval base. HMNZS Kahu was a Fairmile B motor launch, and it functioned as an administrative base for the Fairmile flotillas during World War II.

It is also in this tradition for land establishments to be associated with one or more "name ships". However this association is largely ceremonial.

List of bases

Name Name ships Dates Location Notes
HMNZS Cook Harptree
HDML 1183		 1943–44
1944–46		 Clyde Quay, Wellington
Shelly Bay, Wellington
HMNZS Cook II HMNZS Kahu 1943–44 Solomon Islands Administrative base for Fairmile flotillas
HMNZS Irirangi SDML P3554 1951–93 Waiouru Formerly Waiouru W/T Station. Radio intercept station
HMNZS Ngapona ?–current Auckland Naval Reserve training base
Has a satellite unit at Tauranga
HMNZS Olphert ?–current Wellington Naval Reserve training base
HMNZS Pegasus ?–current Christchurch Naval Reserve training base
HMNZS Philomel HMNZS Philomel
 1923–41
1941–47
1947–current
 Devonport Was HMS Philomel

Main RNZN Logistics and Training Base

HMNZS Philomel II 1948–53 Wellington Renamed Wakefield
HMNZS Tamaki [1] 1941–63
1963–2000
 		 Motuihi Island
Fort Cautley, Narrow Neck
 		 Training base
Training base
Now part of HMNZS Philomel
HMNZS Tasman 1944–56
1975–?		 Lyttelton
Devonport
HMNZS Toroa ?–current Dunedin Naval Reserve training base
HMNZS Wakefield 1954–current Wellington Command and administration staff for naval personnel resident outside the Greater Auckland area. Formerly Philomel II
HMNZS Waiouru [2] 1943–51 Waiouru W/T Station. Renamed Irirangi

HMNZ Dockyard is managed by Babcock New Zealand Ltd on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff through a commercial management agreement.[3] This is not a commissioned ship; it is instead analogous to HMNB Devonport or HMNB Portsmouth.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ NZ Navy Museum: Training Expansion – HMNZS Tamaki
  2. ↑ Waters, S.D. 1956, The Royal New Zealand Navy page 447 re HMNZS Irirangi
  3. ↑ Development of naval repair facilities at Auckland, New Zealand 1841–1962 – Bell, J.A.; AMRINA Deputy Constructive Manager HMNZ Dockyard

References

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