HMAS Sydney has entered Sydney Harbour for the final time ahead of her decommissioning towards the end of the year. The Adelaide class frigate flew a paying-off pennant held aloft by balloons as she made her way to the naval base at Garden Island.
During her 32 years service, the fourth warship to bear the name won four battle honours for actions in Kuwait, East Timor, the Persian Gulf and Iraq to add to the ten others inherited from her predecessors.
In the months before she is finally retired, Sydney is to be used for alongside training. As with Canberra and Adelaide, other previously decommissioned ships of her class, her name will soon return. The fifth HMAS Sydney will be the third Hobart class Air Warfare Destroyer, which is due to enter service in 2019.
