HMAS ''Wilcannia'' (FYP2, WN) was a 1,049-ton anti-submarine and patrol vessel of the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

(RAN). ''Wyrallah'' was built in 1934 by

Burmeister & Wain Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Over its 150-year history, it g ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

as a cargo passenger motor vessel for the

North Coast Steam Navigation Company The North Coast Steam Navigation Company was a shipping company that operated in Australia, formed as the Grafton Steam Navigation Company in 1855. The company was later renamed the Clarence & Richmond River Steam Navigation Company before being ...

. She plied the Richmond River to Sydney run. At the start of World War II, ''Wyrallah'' was requisitioned and was commissioned into the RAN as an anti-submarine vessel on 2 September 1940. ''Wyrallah'' was part of the search for survivors of November 1941, off the West Australian coast. In February 1942, her name was changed to HMAS ''Wilcannia'', to avoid confusion with the new , . During the later part of her service with the RAN, she was in New Guinea waters. collided with ''Wilcannia'' on 27 July 1944. ''Wilcannia'' earned three

battle honour A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags ("colours"), uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible. In European military t ...

s for her wartime service, "Darwin 1942-43", "Pacific 1942-44" and "New Guinea 1943". ''Wyrallah'' was returned to owners in 1947. She was sold in 1954 to John Burke & Company, Brisbane, later sold in 1960 and renamed ''Colorado del Mar''. Changing owners again in 1964 and renamed ''Tamata'', briefly before changing ownership and renamed ''Colorado del Mar''. Sold in 1972 and renamed ''Union Pacific'', before being renamed ''Ocean Life'' in 1973, ''Sri Mahkota'' in 1976, ''Sinar Surya'' in 1979.

Fate

She was broken up at

Chittagong Chittagong ( /ˈtʃɪt əˌɡɒŋ/ ''chit-uh-gong''; ctg, চিটাং; bn, চিটাগং), officially Chattogram ( bn, চট্টগ্রাম), is the second-largest city in Bangladesh after Dhaka and third largest city in B ...

, Bangladesh in March 2004.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilcannia 1934 ships Maritime incidents in July 1944 Minesweepers of the Royal Australian Navy Coastal passenger vessels of Australia Iron and steel steamships of Australia