6 July 2026
6 July 2026
Recently Her Excellency the Honourable Caroline Wells, Governor of Tasmania, was delighted to join the crew of the Royal Australian Navy’s flagship for an overnight visit on board HMAS Canberra.
One of the largest vessels ever constructed for the Royal Australian Navy, the 230-metre-long landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra visited Hobart late last month.
Her Excellency and her partner Dr Rob Walters RFD joined the ship at Port Arthur and disembarked at Macquarie Wharf the following day, enjoying an opportunity to meet Commanding Officer Captain David McPherson RAN and the almost 400-strong crew.
While on board, they learned more about HMAS Canberra’s role in humanitarian assistance, disaster response and other joint operations and toured all areas of the ship, including the kitchens which serve vast numbers of meals every day and the medical facility which incorporates a hospital with two operating theatres and a critical care unit, as well as pathology, radiology and pharmacy services.
Her Excellency and Dr Walters were fascinated to witness the scale of the ship, which is likened to a floating city, and were impressed by the pride and teamwork they saw on display.
They enjoyed meeting Tasmanian crew members and spending time with all on board HMAS Canberra, and were pleased to hear that everyone was enthusiastic about visiting Hobart and engaging with Tasmania while the ship was in port.
The Governor’s Standard, which is the Tasmanian flag with a Tudor Crown atop the State badge, flew while the Governor was on board the ship, as per protocol.
