Serving the White Ensign, 110 years of the Australian Fleet

In 1913 the Royal Australian Navy’s first fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour. To recognise 110 years of service in peace and war the Anzac Memorial presents the exhibition Serving the White Ensign.

Discover rarely-seen artefacts from defining moments in the Navy’s colourful history.

The forbidding stern section of a Japanese midget submarine, lifted from Sydney Harbour in June 1942, a reminder of Australia under attack, contrasts with the whimsical personal souvenirs and mess deck art made by a young sailor steaming to the battle of Lingayen Gulf on HMAS Arunta.

The tattered white ensign that fluttered defiantly on the doomed HMAS Waterhen as she foundered in the waters of the Mediterranean in 1941 will be displayed alongside the smart black coat worn by a WRAN telegraphist in 1945, one of the first women to serve in Australia’s navy.

To recognise the generations of Australians who have gone to war on great waters, the Anzac Memorial will open a year-long exhibition on the Royal Australian Navy on the anniversary of the Battle of Cape Matapan, 27 March 2023.

The exhibition is free and open daily from 9am to 5pm.