Melbourne, a 22,000-ton (20,000-metric ton) aircraft carrier, became the flagship of the Royal Australian Navy after its arrival in Australia in 1956. Originally designed in 1943 for the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom, the ship was to be called H.M.S. Majestic. Work was suspended on the ship after World War II ended in 1945. Work resumed in 1949, but the ship was modified at that time to meet the specifications of the Royal Australian Navy.
The Melbourne was involved in two major sea disasters during the 1960’s. The ship’s bow was damaged each time. In both incidents, the Melbourne was cleared of all blame. The Australian destroyer H.M.A.S. Voyager collided with the Melbourne on Feb. 10, 1964, off Jervis Bay in New South Wales, Australia. The Voyager was cut in two and sank, with the loss of 82 lives. Nobody on board the Melbourne was injured. The United States destroyer Frank E. Evans collided with the Melbourne on June 3, 1969, in the South China Sea, and 74 American sailors died.
