Your Story

This section is going to be for the stories of what you have been up to since Leeuwin....

just write a story and email it to Steve with a then and now pic if you like...

Navy career, joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1972 and paid off as CPO Naval Police Coxswain in 1993,

and to this day I am still on the books as a reservist, some 36 years later...I work in the Qld Gov and live in Brisbane,

my hobbies are: Military Research, Ham radio, computers, video productions and creating websites...

After I left Leeuwin I did my Ord time on the Melbourne, which was in dry-dock the whole time we were on it. I wanted to be a UW so I ended up at Watson for basic training with all the UC's as well.

After UW training I was drafted to the Anzac, not the modern recent version, and went to sea on day one, training OC's around the Whitsunday's for a month. My next draft was to "Building 215" or HMAS Stalwart as it was called. Spent many nights stepping out with Peter Rode, John Mitchell, Kim Roughley, Rod Hine, Chris Absolom and a few others I can't remember. After the Stalwart I ended up at Penguin to get a cartilage removed, which I damaged playing mid-week footy a year or so earlier. And as happens, I couldn't get classified 'sea-worthy' and it wasn't likely to happen soon, had enough and got out.

After I got out I went back home to Katanning working on a farm and playing footy. I won the F&B for my club and the competition, which resulted in me getting recruited to South Fremantle and playing football with them for a couple of seasons.

In 1986 I moved my family to Canberra to join the Commonwealth Public Service. I've worked in many departments, including Defence (don't know why), Social Security, CES and a range of Aboriginal Departments or Agencies. I stayed in the CPS until 2007, when I transferred to the ACT Public Service, where I currently work as a Senior Policy Officer in Aboriginal Health.

I've been married to Sharon for 33 years and we have three great boys - Jay 32, Kasey 25 and Cody 16. I'm passionate about football and have coached my sons footy team, been the Junior Development Officer and President of the senior Football Club - Tuggeranong Hawks and I love giving back something to football. I support both West Coast Eagles and Fremantle Dockers, which might sound strange, but I'm a Sandgroper, living in Canberra. So I have to support anything Western Australian.

HMAS Leeuwin JRTE 72/73, HMAS Cerberus Stokers Course 73/74, HMAS Brisbane 74/76, Long Bay Prison 76/77, HMAS Penguin reintroduce myself to the Navy “again”...Lol, HMAS Hobart 1977, HMAS Coonawarra 77/80, discharged 11/11/80 as a high ranking ABMTP. Joined the Northern Territory Electricity Commission (NTEC) as a Boiler Attendant from 1980 to 1986 then transferred to the new Darwin power station at Channel Island Power Station as a Control Room Operator and that lasted until 2001 when I was released on TPI ( Terminally and Permanently Incapacitated ) due a heart condition called Viral Cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart). Anyway the doctors have prescribed me with a heap of pills to keep me going. I opened up the Powerpit Gym up here in Darwin in July 2005, am now the President of the NT Powerlifting association and sometimes I even get the chance to compete. I’m still married to Linda from 12/05/1976 and have two daughters who are 33 and 32 and have 5 Grandkids aged from 12 to 2 yrs old.

Cheers Sambo

After leaving Leeuwin I was drafted to MELBOURNE with a bunch of other UW’s and did my Ord’s time on that. After category course etc. at WATSON and PENGUIN I joined BRISBANE and worked on the TAS maintenance Party. I volunteered for submarines and was drafted to England in 74.

I did 10 years in Subs, serving on OXLEY, OTWAY, and ONSLOW. I was promoted to Kellick at 21 and PO at 24. All was going well until I got high blood pressure and listed PMU for sea. That spelled the end of anything I wanted to do at the time and it hit me really hard.

In 1984 I was drafted to CRESWELL in Jervis Bay and after a while I ended up as 2i/c of Torpedo Recovery Vessel TUNA for some 7-8 years. Loved that job and ended up as a consolation after having to leave Subs. I paid off in 1992 – Still a PO.

I don’t know why but I found myself at the University of Wollongong doing a Commerce Degree. Completed that with good results and worked in Human Resources for a couple of years. Those were the most boring and unproductive years I’ve lived through. A life time of watch keeping and sea time didn’t prepare me for that sort of stuff and I joined the NSW Police Force.

Now I’m a Senior Constable working General Duties at Leeton in the Riverina. Married to Una and we have 2 boys Chris, our eldest is a Stoker in minesweepers and Anthony works locally in Leeton.

I’m looking forward to getting over to the West next year and see where it all began.

Navy career, joined the RAN in 1972 and paid off as a 3 badge LSRP in 1985. Served time on Swan, Oxley, Brisbane (twice), Vampire, commissioning crew of Tobruk and various shore bases. Paid off from Watson. Got married in 1984 (25 years) and have 1 daughter. I work in the Qld Government (23 years) and live on the Gold Coast (Titans Supporter).