History

SOBRAON – TINGIRA – CERBERUS – LEEUWIN

Our story so far…

“Of all the great ships of Her Majesty’s Australian Navy, the ship which has possibly received the least acclaim, and yet the one which should receive high honours, is HMAS Tingira.

Tingira, an aboriginal word for ‘open sea’, was originally the clipper sailing ship Sobraon, built in the yard of the famous shipbuilder, Alexander Hall of Aberdeen. Sobraon was launched in 1866 and was the largest composite ship ever built in her time”.

RAN Historical Society

CLIPPER SHIP SOBRAON

For twenty-four years she sailed between England and Australia, commanded by James Aberdour Elmslie RNR, who earned the utmost respect of his fellow mariners and of all who entrusted their lives to his care. Throughout his long tenure as Commanding Officer of Sobraon, Captain Elmslie never unduly stressed either his ship or her passengers.

In 1891, the New South Wales Government negotiated with Sobraon’s owners, Devitt and Moore, to purchase the vessel after her arrival in Melbourne in January of that year. She was subsequently towed to Sydney Harbour, arriving on 15 February 1891. The Government’s decision to acquire Sobraon arose from an urgent need to replace the ship Vernon, an ageing Blackwall frigate that had been acquired in 1867 to serve as a floating reformatory for boys. These boys had been committed under regulations arising from the Act for the Relief of Destitute Children, the Act to Establish Juvenile Reformatories, and the Public Schools Act of 1866.

NAUTICAL SCHOOL SHIP SOBRAON

The Sobraon had lain at anchor off Garden Island until 1871, when she was towed to the confluence of the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers and moored off Cockatoo Island—then known as Biloela—where she served as an Industrial and Reform School. Sobraon was placed in Sutherland Dock at Cockatoo Island for inspection and a complete refit.

She was found to be as sound as a bell and, by October 1892, after £31,429 had been expended on modifications, the great ship was ready to enter the second stage of her life as a Nautical School Ship. Her sole purpose was to house underprivileged boys whom the New South Wales courts had deemed destitute, or who for other reasons were committed to the strict and disciplined life aboard Sobraon. The ship operated under the careful supervision of Superintendent Frederick William Neitenstein, Lieutenant William Henry Mason, and their officers.

In addition to discipline, the boys were given opportunities to develop practical trade skills and were provided with a basic education, both moral and academic. They formed a band that became much in demand at important ceremonial occasions, and such was the standard of their training that some boys later secured positions in orchestras. Indeed, many went on to achieve distinction both in Australia and overseas, not only in music but also in the field of sport.

The motto of the Tingira Old Boys Association

“In strength and unity, this Association will stand forever”

One boy in particular, Bernard Kieran, born in New South Wales, rose to national prominence as a champion swimmer. By the age of 19 he had become a sensation, winning races and breaking world records. While home on leave in Brisbane, Bernard tragically died from appendicitis. The nation mourned his passing. He was accorded a State funeral by the NSW Government, and his gravesite at Gore Hill Cemetery, Sydney, is maintained and visited by members of the present Tingira Australia Association.

The broader aim of this nautical training program was to encourage young lads to join the Navy or the Merchant Service at a time when maritime industry was undergoing dramatic change, as steam power gradually overtook wind-propelled ships.

In 1911, the NSW Government—having long studied improved methods for assisting disadvantaged youth—decided to abandon the nautical system of reform in favour of a land-based model. As a result, Brush Farm at Eastwood, NSW, was purchased. Boys from the Sobraon were accommodated there until a new establishment at Mount Penang was completed in 1912. Interestingly, the porch at the entrance to the main building is known as the quarterdeck, a reminder of its maritime origins. Today, as of 2020, Sobraon Street in the City of Ryde leads toward the Brush Farm NSW Corrections training facility.

The Sobraon was subsequently sold to the young Commonwealth Government for £15,000. Earlier, in 1890, the Premier of NSW, Sir Henry Parkes, had initiated moves toward the federation of the Australian colonies, culminating in the proclamation of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901.

In March 1901, the naval forces and establishments of the State governments were transferred to the Commonwealth. However, the States continued to administer them under State Acts and regulations until February 1904, when the Commonwealth Defence Act came into force. An amending Act, proclaimed on 12 January 1904, established a Naval Board of Administration, with Captain W. R. Creswell appointed as Director.

In 1909, a proposal for Australia’s naval defence emerged from the Imperial Defence Conference. It recommended the formation of a Pacific Fleet consisting of three units: one attached to the Australian Station, one to the East Indies Station, and one to the China Station, which would also be responsible for the defence of New Zealand. The East Indies and China units would remain under British Admiralty control, while the Australian unit would be funded, controlled, and eventually manned by Australians.

The Naval Defence Act was passed in 1910, and in October 1911 King George V authorised the adoption of the title “Royal Australian Navy.”

That same year saw the launching of HMAS Australia on the Clyde, as well as the purchase of the Sobraon by the Commonwealth. Once again placed in the hands of Cockatoo Docks for an extensive refit, the vessel was found to be “as sound as a bell” at the remarkable age of 55 years.

HMAS TINGIRA

The stage was now set for yet another honourable role in the long life of the ship Sobraon. At 8 o’clock on the morning of 25 April 1912, just three years before the first ANZAC Day, the White Ensign of the Royal Australian Navy was hoisted to mark the commissioning of HMAS Tingira—the first naval training ship of the Royal Australian Navy.

Tingira is an Aboriginal word meaning “ocean” or “open sea”, pronounced Ting-guy-rah. As HMAS Tingira, the ship became the training vessel for thousands of young boys who chose the Navy as a career under the Department of the Navy’s new boy enlistment scheme.

Although all who trained aboard her would go to sea, Tingira herself did not. Instead, she remained at anchor in the sheltered waters of Rose Bay, opposite Lyne Park, where she lay at her moorings for the next fifteen years.

The commissioning captain of HMAS Tingira was Commander Lewin, RN, who, together with his First Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander Browne, RN, and Executive Officers Dean and Seaton, formed the first of a long line of distinguished officers. These men were carefully selected for their particular ability to instruct, mentor, and shape sturdy, self-reliant, and intelligent boys into future sailors of the Royal Australian Navy.

Upon arriving aboard HMAS Tingira, each boy was immediately issued with an official number, which remained with him throughout his naval service. He was then allocated to either the port or starboard watch and issued with what was known as casual clothing. This interim naval kit consisted of a cap, duck suit made from coarse white material, towel, soap, hammock, and blankets. Shoes were worn only when on parade, during gunnery training, or when going ashore for Sunday divine service. A full kit issue usually followed about a week later.

Between 1912 and 1926, boys as young as 14 years of age were trained aboard Tingira. They were organised into classes of approximately twelve, and during the first four months received intensive instruction in seamanship. Upon completion, they sat an examination before commencing gunnery training—the phase where discipline was said to truly assert itself.

Everything aboard Tingira was done “at the double.” Failure to execute a drill correctly or respond instantly to an order was dealt with severely. A typical day for a Tingira boy began at 0530, when hammocks were “lashed and stowed” before mustering for baths and showers. After bathing, each boy received a cup of cocoa known as “ki”, before “turning to” and cleaning the ship. Boats were then turned out, and on completion the boys fell in for physical training.

The last boy to fall in was sent up and over the ship’s rigging half a dozen times—a punishment never relished, especially on cold, frosty mornings when no footwear was worn. Working aloft in Tingira’s rigging was a daily occurrence, and after a vigorous half-hour of physical training, all boys were ordered over the rigging three times before mustering for breakfast.

Grace was said before all meals, which were overseen by the ship’s padre. Following breakfast, classroom instruction and practical training commenced and continued until 1600 hours, after which the boys turned to domestic duties or compulsory organised sport. Supper was followed at 1900 hours by letter writing or voluntary games until 2030, when the boys were fallen in and ordered to “turn in.” Lights out was strictly enforced at 2100 hours.

The first intake of boys took place between 1 June and 28 June 1912, and by the time Tingira was decommissioned, 3,168 boys had been trained aboard her. Most went on to serve as sailors in the fleet, many seeing service during both World Wars. Some, including Signalman J. W. Varcoe, DSM, and Petty Officer J. T. Humphries, GM, were decorated for individual acts of gallantry.

The final draft of Tingira boys commenced training in 1926, and recruiting ceased in August of that year. On 30 June 1927, Tingira paid off. After passing through several owners, she was reportedly broken up off Sydney Heads in 1941.

In 2017, the Australian National Maritime Museum reported that satellite imagery had revealed what appeared to be the steel rib cage of a large vessel buried in the shallow sands of Balls Head, Sydney Harbour. The dimensions of the submerged structure closely matched those of HMAS Tingira. Maritime authorities believe the ship sat so low in the water, stripped of all fittings and shackles, that she never returned to sea and instead slowly deteriorated in the shoreline sands.

Tingira was the first—and possibly the only—clipper ship constructed with steel ribs. Originally designed in the mid-1860s as a steam vessel, a change of ownership during construction saw her completed as a sailing ship instead.

These young trainees—known locally in Sydney as the “Tinny Boys”—had the privilege of beginning their naval careers not in a shore establishment or a stationary stone frigate, but within the safe confines of one of the finest ships ever built.

Many Tingira boys went on to long and distinguished careers in the Royal Australian Navy. Most served aboard HMAS Australia during the First World War, and many later served as senior sailors or officers aboard the second HMAS Australia during the Second World War. After the war, the former trainees formed the Tingira Old Boys Association.

In 2011, the Secretary of the Tingira Australia Association, Mark Lee, proudly presented the Association’s Honorary Gold Life Membership to the last surviving Tingira boy, Dan Bowden, aged 103. Dan passed away just one month later, expressing before his death his belief that “Tingira was never going to die.”

That enduring dream is the legacy left to us by the Tinny Boys—and one we owe them nothing less than to preserve.

HMAS LEEUWIN – Initially commissioned in August 1940, HMAS Leeuwin was established as the naval depot for Fremantle. The original shore facility was centred on a drill hall constructed in 1926 at East Fremantle. In 1942, Leeuwin was relocated to Preston Point, on the opposite side of the Swan River. Following the end of the Second World War, the base was adapted for training purposes, initially accommodating naval reservists and national servicemen.

In 1960, the base was reclassified as the Junior Recruit Training Establishment (JRTE). Under the Junior Recruit Training Scheme (JRTS), boys normally entered the Royal Australian Navy at the age of 15. The scheme provided one year of secondary education combined with basic naval training, after which recruits were posted to other establishments to continue training in their chosen specialisations.

The first intake of Royal Australian Navy Junior Recruits, boys aged between 15 and 17, commenced training at HMAS Leeuwin on 13 July 1960. During the early 1960s, several intakes were temporarily transferred to HMAS Cerberus at Crib Point, Victoria, while major construction and extensions were completed at Leeuwin.

The JRTS continued for 24 years, concluding in 1984, and during that time over 12,000 Junior Recruits graduated from HMAS Leeuwin. Many went on to long and distinguished careers in the Royal Australian Navy, with a significant number achieving senior sailor and commissioned officer rank. One notable graduate, Russ Crane, a member of the 32nd intake, rose to the rank of Vice Admiral and was appointed Chief of Navy in 2008, having served continuously for 41 years. It is believed that, between the Tingira boys and the Junior Recruit boys, Australians trained under these schemes have represented the nation in every conflict and operational deployment since Federation.

Education and training for Junior Recruits were shared with the Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell, located at Jervis Bay, NSW. The first JRTS intake numbered 155 recruits, and by the end of the scheme’s first decade more than 800 Junior Recruits and 100 Officer Candidates were in residence. During the initial years, training was conducted at HMAS Cerberus while construction and expansion of HMAS Leeuwin continued.

In many respects, the JRTS concept mirrored the earlier boys’ training ship HMAS Tingira (1912–1927), which had trained boys aged 14 to 16 during the formative years of the Royal Australian Navy. A comparable junior sailor training system also existed within the Royal Navy, with boys training aboard HMS Granges as early as 1865.

The Boys of Leeuwin maintained a strong connection to their Tingira predecessors by wearing a Tingira shoulder name flash on their uniforms while serving at HMAS Leeuwin. They also fostered close bonds with the local Fremantle community, participating in weekend sporting and social activities much like the Tingira boys before them. Saturday morning leave was often spent at the Flying Angel Seafarers’ Club, while Sunday evenings sometimes concluded with the popular 8 pm dance at the same venue, frequently attended by local nurses from Hollywood Hospital.

A sponsorship scheme operated throughout the boys’ twelve-month stay, during which Junior Recruits spent 48 hours in the care of local families—some with naval connections, others hosting a recruit for the first time. Many lifelong friendships were formed, strengthening ties between HMAS Leeuwin and the Fremantle community.

HMAS Leeuwin ceased Junior Recruit training in 1984, having educated 12,074 recruits. Improvements in national education standards led the RAN to conclude that it no longer needed to provide secondary schooling as part of naval entry training.

The establishment was formally decommissioned on 11 November 1986, one of several Royal Australian Navy shore facilities closed during the late 1980s and early 1990s due to funding constraints and the rationalisation of Defence infrastructure.

The site remained under Australian Defence Force control and was later reopened as Leeuwin Barracks, an Australian Army facility. The barracks supported personnel from all three services in the Fremantle region until 2018, when the Army relocated to new local facilities. The property is now held by the Australian Government and is being prepared for future Defence use from 2025 onwards.

TINGIRA AUSTRALIA ASSOCIATION

In July 2010, more than 1,000 former Junior Recruits, accompanied by their partners, gathered at Leeuwin Barracks to celebrate 50 years since the first intake passed through the gates on 13 July 1960.

A highlight of the week-long reunion was the commissioning of the Junior Recruit Memorial. Celebrations culminated in a gala dinner at Burswood Casino on Perth’s foreshore, attended by 550 Junior Recruits and partners. It was an evening filled with stories, laughter, dancing, and countless handshakes—many between men reuniting for the first time in decades. It was, by all accounts, a night to remember and a week never to be forgotten.

It was at this gala dinner that former Junior Recruits Russ Crane (32nd intake) and Mark Lee (45th intake) shared a brief but pivotal conversation. They agreed that it was time to “keep the boys together” and form a new association—one dedicated to renewing old friendships and forging new ones. From that moment, the idea of the Tingira Australia Association was born.

Following the reunion, Russ Crane and Mark Lee held several long, late-night meetings back in Sydney. They recruited a small team and established a two-year steering committee, developing a strategic plan for the new association. These men became the modern-day “Tinny Boys.” The association would unite former recruits from Tingira, Cerberus, and Leeuwin under one banner—without rank or distinction—all simply known as Junior Recruits (JR’s).

JR Chris Perrin (46th intake) was the first to step forward, volunteering as the inaugural President. He was followed by JR Greg Read (12th intake), and later JR Lance Ker (78th intake), who would go on to serve as President and later Chairman. Russ Crane accepted the role of inaugural Patron, while Mark Lee assumed the position of Secretary, a role he has held continuously since the association was formally incorporated on 1 January 2011.

An inaugural steering committee was established with Chris Perrin as President. The association was deeply grateful to receive a donation of $11,694 from Ian Dunn, Trevor Cangemi, and Alan Rodgers of the 2010 JR Reunion Committee—representing the remaining proceeds from the reunion dinner. To ensure financial stability during its formative years, the committee also created a Foundation Life Membership category, to operate throughout the association’s first decade.

The association soon developed strong ties with the RSL Rose Bay Sub-Branch after discovering the Tingira Memorial located near the site where HMAS Tingira had once swung at anchor for many years.

The ANZAC Memorial has since hosted several significant Tingira Australia Association events, including the commissioning of the Tingira Bell by the then Chief of Navy, Russ Crane. Notably, HMAS Tingira herself was never issued a bell, having relied throughout her naval service on the three original Sobraon bells—a reflection of the scarcity of brass during wartime.

The association established a statewide coordinator network across most Australian capital cities. Tingira members now march under their banner on ANZAC Day and commemorate the Tingira Birthday each year on 13 July. A member of the executive committee also represents the association annually at the Coral Sea Commemoration in Canberra, honouring the many Tingira boys who served aboard HMAS Sydney and HMAS Australia in both World Wars.

More than 200 members attended the first post-formation JR Reunion in Sydney in 2015. The planned 2020 Perth Reunion, marking 60 years of Junior Recruit training, was unfortunately cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, a positive outcome of this period was the publication of the association’s two-volume history, Our Lifetime Voyage, produced by the committee.

At the 2021 Annual General Meeting, Lance Ker became the association’s first Chairman, with former Junior Recruit Brad Murphy elected President for a three-year term. Brad Murphy was re-elected for a second term at the 2024 AGM, with Jeff Wake serving as Vice President.

At the conclusion of the 2025 Perth JR Reunion, Tingira National Committee members Brad Murphy, Jeff Wake, Mark Lee, and Paul Kalajzich—representing a combined 40 years of committee service—stood down, paving the way for a new intake of committee members.

The 2026 Executive Committee consists of:

• President: Chris Perrin
• Vice President: David Rafferty
• Treasurer: Greg Read
• Secretary: Brett Mace

Ordinary committee members are Darren Rose, Mark Worrall, Gavin Jarvis, and Daryle Walton.

“Long Live Tingira – Mates for Life.”
Our story so far.