Beat to quarters! Ceremonial Sunset celebrates 123 years of the Royal Australian Navy
A small crowd of locals gathered in Robertson Park on Friday evening to witness the rare sight of an ancient maritime tradition being performed on the site of Orange’s now-hidden watercourse Blackmans Swamp Creek.
Touring the region as a part of Navy Week celebrations, the Commanding Officer of HMAS Harman, Commander Glyn Hunter oversaw a “Beat to Quarters” and “Ceremonial Sunset” at the Cenotaph in Robertson Park.
With the sun low in the west, sailors from HMAS Harmon, each bearing rifles, marched into position at the front of the Cenotaph. While the traditional evening hymn played, the sailors fired a volley before lowering the white ensign of the Royal Australian Navy from the flagpoles at the Cenotaph.
The “Beat to Quarters” and “Ceremonial Sunset” are old naval ceremonies that date back centuries, when the ship's drums would be beaten as a call for the ship's company to man the quarters, or action stations.
“It dates back to the days of sail where they would do a beat to quarters and then they would clear their weapons of a night time to be prepared for an evening attack,” explained Commander Hunter.
“And then the white ensign would come down for the evening. So it's quite a traditional ceremony from the navy of days of sail.”
The crew of HMAS Harmon’s visit to Orange was the final stop on a regional tour as part of Navy Week celebrations. Friday being the anniversary of the Royal Australian Navy's creation in 1901.
“Today is the Navy's birthday and we are 123 years old,” Commander Hunter said ahead of Friday’s ceremony.
“When the leadership asked me how I'd like to celebrate this week I decided that it probably be more prudent to get out into the rural areas that don't get to see navy very often and just talk about navy, what it is to be in the navy, and why everyone in Australia should know about our navy and their navy.”
During Navy Week, Commander Hunter and the team from HMAS Harmon had visited Cowra, Parkes, Dubbo, and Bathurst before arriving in Orange, stopping to talk to high school students and conducting similar ceremonies to those witnessed in Robertson Park.
HMAS Harmon, based in Canberra, provided essential communication services for Allied forces deployed in the Pacific region during World War II. Harman also witnessed the establishment of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) which was formed in 1941. Today, HMAS Harmon contributes to Joint Force capability through its primary roles of providing administrative support services for personnel in the ACT, southern NSW, and posted overseas. Harman also enables Defence-wide communications, cyber, intelligence, and information warfare capabilities.