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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Sep-Oct 2008        |
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Australian Merchant Marine finally Recognised03 September 2008By Dean Summers - National ITF Coordinator
Hundreds of seafarers, young and old will join others with links to the sea to gather for the inaugural Merchant Navy day in Adelaide today. Until this year, Australia had not formally honoured the bravery of merchant seafarers during wartime or recognised the enormous contribution the Merchant Marine had made to the economic development and security of this nation. "The role of the Merchant Navy and the stories of the merchant seafarers who served Australia in wartime is largely untold history and it has taken far too long for Australia to celebrate our Merchant navy" said Dean Summers, representative of the Maritime Union of Australia "Today highlights the importance of the Australian shipping industry both commercially and culturally. With the numbers of Australian ships declining, we must recognise that the industry is under threat and ensure that the Federal Government commits its revitalisation. "The MUA takes this opportunity to congratulate the Federal Government in a number of initiatives which not only commemorates our maritime history but strongly signals its support to rebuild coastal shipping into a vibrant domestic industry." The Merchant Navy refers to the fleet of Australian civilian-owned merchant ships--operated under the by either the government or the private sector, that are engaged in commerce or transportation of goods and services. In time of war, the Merchant Navy is an auxiliary to the Navy, and can be called upon to deliver troops and supplies for the military. Interesting statistics about the role of the Merchant Navy in Australia's history • Estimated 885 Australian merchant mariners are recognised to have died in WWII alone. • The MUA estimates one in eight merchant seafarers died in the Second World War. • Approximately 3000 Australian seaman served in US Small Ships known as the "Forgotten Fleet" • The largest loss of life on a coastal ship was on Centaur, torpedoed on the 14/5/1943, 40 miles East of Brisbane. There were 268 casualties 20 of whom were merchant seafarers. For more information please contact: Dean Summers on 0419 934 648 or Kate Walsh (EMC) 0423 138 357
Public News: You can view MUA's publicly available news in a variety of ways. Please select one of our public news indexes. |
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© 2001 Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) |
