HMAS SYDNEY II SEARCH Press Room

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	What's Happening with the Search View the current blog from David Mearns, Glenys McDonald and John Perryman from the SV Geosounder.
	Current and Archived Official Media Releases Media Releases from The Finding Sydney Foundation and related third party announcements.
	Frequently Asked Questions Common Queries answered by The Finding Sydney Foundation.

What's New

HMAS Sydney II Virtual Memorial Arrangements Finalised with NAA

On 19th November 2008, the Finding Sydney Foundation (FSF) and the Naval Association of Australia (NAA) jointly announced the launching of an internet based perpetual tribute to the 645 men lost with HMAS Sydney II on 19th November 1941. Today, 23rd December 2009, the two organisations completed the legal and financial arrangements for the NAA to accept...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Dec 23, 2009
Foundation Congratulates AHS Centaur Search Team in Repeating Search Success

The Chairman of the Finding Sydney Foundation (FSF), Ted Graham AM, said today that the Foundation is proud and pleased to congratulate the Australian and Queensland Governments, Search Director David Mearns and all those involved in today's discovery of the wreck of AHS Centaur. Ted Graham said “We are pleased because we know from our experience...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Dec 20, 2009
Finding Sydney Foundation Donates to Memorial

The Finding Sydney Foundation and the Australian War Memorial today announced that all video and photographs from the sea bed, showing the wrecks of HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran will be donated to the Australian War Memorial. Mr Ted Graham AM, Chairman of the Foundation said its members and its Search Director David Mearns, were proud to give the...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Nov 17, 2009
HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran Wreck Photographs to be sent to Families and Shipmates

A DVD slideshow of photographs of the wrecks of HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran is being made available by the Finding Sydney Foundation to the families of the men lost in November 1941 and shipmates who served in the ship prior to her tragic wartime sinking. Mr Ted Graham, Chairman of the Finding Sydney Foundation said the Foundation is proud to provide...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Sep 17, 2009
Photographs and Videos HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran - Finding Sydney Foundation Update

We have been asked several questions by various people what our intentions are in relation to the still photographs and videos that were taken during the inspection of HMAS Sydney (II) and HSK Kormoran . We have summarised the questions and comments below for your information. (1) How many (a) photographic images, and (b) minutes of video footage, were...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Jul 5, 2009
HMAS Sydney II Virtual Memorial Opens 19th November 2008

On this Wednesday 19th of November 2008, the Finding Sydney Foundation and the Naval Association of Australia will launch an internet based Virtual Memorial at www.sydneymemorial.com , to commemorate the 645 men lost with HMAS Sydney II on 19th November 1941. The Finding Sydney Foundation, a group of five committed Australian volunteers, managed the...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Nov 17, 2008
HMAS Sydney II Commemorative Sunset Service in Geraldton, WA

A Commemorative Sunset Service will be held at the HMAS Sydney II Memorial - Geraldton, Western Australia, commemorating the HMAS Sydney II and her 645 crew on the 67th anniversary of the ship’s loss. Service starts on Wednesday November 19 2008 at 6.30pm sharp. For further information please view PDF files below (free Adobe Reader required): Flyer...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Nov 9, 2008
Remembrance Day Service for HMAS Sydney II, Fremantle Western Australia

Port Pays Homage to HMAS Sydney on Remembrance Day World War II veteran Ean McDonald from Gooseberry Hill, who served on the HMAS Sydney II, will be among hundreds of people attending a moving Remembrance Day Service at Fremantle’s St Patrick’s Basilica starting at 5pm, to commemorate the crew of the ill fated navy ship. The 11th of November 2008 will...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Oct 30, 2008
The Search for the HMAS Sydney II Report Available for Download

The Finding Sydney Foundation is pleased to advise that the report on the Search for HMAS Sydney II can be downloaded from its official website findingsydney.com . The report contains a précis of the Foundation, search records including research and supporting wind and current leeway analyses, offshore records from deep tow sidescan sonar, all equipment...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Oct 27, 2008
Commission of Inquiry into the Loss of HMAS Sydney II - Initial Hearings (14th May 2008)

CPA 134/08 Wednesday, 14 May 2008 COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE LOSS OF HMAS SYDNEY II – INITIAL HEARING What : Initial hearing of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the loss of HMAS Sydney II. Who: The President of the Commission, The Hon. Terence Cole AO, RFD, QC, will convene the initial public hearing of the Inquiry. The President will make an...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by patrickf on May 19, 2008
ABC Broadcasting HMAS Sydney II Commemorative Service Nationally (21st April 2008)

The Australian Broadcasting Network (ABC) will be broadcasting the HMAS Sydney II Commemorative Service for the crew of the HMAS Sydney II, on Thursday 24th of April 2008. The service will be on air nationally between 10.59.a.m. and Midday. During which the The Finding Sydney Foundation has provided permission for the broadcaster to display images taken...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Apr 20, 2008
Acknowledgement to Australian and Overseas Researchers (21st April 2008)

Determination of Location of HSK Kormoran (and HMAS Sydney II) HMAS Sydney Search Pty Ltd, as Trustee for The Finding Sydney Foundation utilised the search box determined by the Search Director David Mearns and his research, when searching for the HMAS Sydney II. This search box included the location of the secondary target the HSK Kormoran, which provided...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Apr 20, 2008
Closing Thoughts

David Mearns – Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Looking back on the 43 days since we began mobilising the SV Geosounder on February 27th I can safely say that the Finding Sydney Foundation team, including all their offshore subcontractors, exceeded the highest possible expectations anyone could have before the project started. Of course...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by admin on Apr 13, 2008
7th April 2008 Report

David Mearns – Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Before the start of our ROV dive on Kormoran’s wreck and debris field I cautioned everyone that in contrast with HMAS Sydney the wreck of Kormoran was going to be in a very bad state and that it was going to be extremely difficult to identify individual pieces of wreckage in the debris field...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Apr 8, 2008
Media Alert (8th April 2008)

THE FINDING SYDNEY FOUNDATION SEARCH TEAM RETURNS HOME - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED The Finding Sydney Foundation will hold a media conference in Fremantle following the successful filming of the wrecks of HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran. Where: NWS Shipping Theatre, WA Maritime Museum, Victoria Quay, Fremantle When: 12.30 hrs Thursday 10th April 2008 Background...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Apr 8, 2008
6th April 2008 Report

David Mearns – Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation I was expecting another long day (and night) today diving on the sonar targets we named as the “battle site” between Kormoran and Sydney largely because of their location on a line that approximates very closely the projected line of the battle. In the end the dive was very short for the...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Apr 6, 2008
5th April 2008 Report

David Mearns – Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation The top objective of today’s ROV dive to HMAS Sydney’s debris field was to identify the largest sonar target, which I was confident was Sydney’s detached bow. This was achieved, along with many other objectives, very early in a highly successful dive that lasted over 17 hours and yielded...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Apr 6, 2008
4th April 2008 - Report

David Mearns – Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Immediately after posting our search diary yesterday we were forced to recover the ROV because of an alarm telling us it was low on oil that is used to fill an important transformer housing. This recovery also allowed us the opportunity to repair the problem we had yesterday which kept the...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Apr 4, 2008
Media Release from The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel (4th April 2008)

First Photographs Of the Wreck Of the Sydney Media Release from The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel The Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon today congratulated the Finding Sydney Foundation following the release of the first pictures of HMAS Sydney II. “The incredible photos of the underwater...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Apr 4, 2008
3rd April 2008 Report - HMAS Sydney II First Photographs

David Mearns – Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Whilst it has taken longer than expected I am very pleased we can now show the first pictures of HMAS Sydney to a waiting Australia. At 15:10 (AWT) on Thursday 03 March 2008, our cameras focused on the first sections of Sydney seen for over 66 years. We landed directly across “X” turret on...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Apr 3, 2008
Media Alert Chairman's Acknowledgement - First Photographs (3rd April 2008)

Ted Graham, Chairman of the Finding Sydney Foundation, on behalf of his fellow Directors, Don Pridmore, Glenys McDonald, Keith Rowe and Bob Trotter and on behalf of the whole onshore and offshore team said he was elated to hear of the success in obtaining the first photographic images of HMAS Sydney II. “ It’s a very pleasing afternoon, we have been...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by patrickf on Apr 3, 2008
22nd March 2008 Report

The SV Geosounder returned to Geraldton, Western Australia on Thursday 20th of March 2008. The demobilisation of the Williamson Sonar Spread has been completed and the mobilisation of an ROV team and specialist deepwater camera and lighting equipment, is currently underway. The SV Geosounder is expected to depart late Easter weekend where the Finding...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by admin on Mar 22, 2008
Media Alert (22nd March 2008)

What's Coming Up from the Finding Sydney Foundation Vessel demobilisation of the Williamson Sonar Spread in progress Mobilisation of an ROV team and specialist deepwater camera and lighting equipment commenced SV Geosounder expected to depart Geraldton late Easter weekend Imagery of the HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran expected late next week Images...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 21, 2008
18th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Knowing it was unlikely that such unique deeptow side-scan sonar equipment would ever again be available and mobilised on a vessel off the coast of WA, I had decided to collect the best possible sonar images of both wrecks before ending this phase of the project. Our plan was to make two...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by admin on Mar 19, 2008
Media Alert (19th March 2008)

The Finding Sydney Foundation will hold a media conference after the return of SV Geosounder to the Port of Geraldton, following the successful discovery of the wrecks of HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran. Where: City of Geraldton-Greenough Chambers, cnr of Mt Magnet Rd & Edwards Rd, Utakarra, Geraldton. When: 10am Friday 21st March 2008 Background...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 19, 2008
Honouring HMAS Sydney II - The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP (18th March 2008)

Media Release from THE HON. WARREN SNOWDON MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, 18th March 2008. Work has begun on commemoration ceremonies for HMAS Sydney II, the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, announced today. “The national response to the discovery of the final resting place of HMAS Sydney has been...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 18, 2008
House of Representatives,Votes and Proceedings (18th March 2008)

Highlighted excerpt from House of Representatives,Votes and Proceedings regarding HMAS Sydney. Hansard 18th March 2008 Link:: http://www.findingsydney.com/docs/HansardReps180308.pdf (PDF Format)

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 18, 2008
17th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation The day began very early for all of us today. Actually for the past few days there hasn't been much difference between days and nights as they have all rolled into one long marathon session. Given what we have achieved in the 5 days since last Wednesday when we found Kormoran and the...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by admin on Mar 17, 2008
HMAS Sydney II Is Found (17th March 2008)

The wreck of missing Royal Australian Navy cruiser HMAS Sydney (II) has been found. HMAS Sydney (II) was tragically lost in November 1941 off Western Australia with its entire crew, following a fierce engagement with the German raider HSK Kormoran. The discovery was announced today by the Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd, the Minister for Defence...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 17, 2008
Press Conference Transcript (17th March 2008)

ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE FINDING OF THE HMAS SYDNEY AND GERMAN VESSEL, KORMORAN. INTERVIEWEES: KEVIN RUDD, PRIME MINISTER; TED GRAHAM, FINDING SYDNEY FOUNDATION; VICE ADMIRAL RUSS SHALDERS, CHIEF OF NAVY Location: Canberra Date: 17th March 2008 Time: 9.20AM AEST KEVIN RUDD: This is a historic day for all Australians, and it's a sad day for all Australians...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 16, 2008
HMAS Sydney (II) Discovered

Joint Statement David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Lieutenant John Perryman, RANR – Official Observer At 11:03 (AWT) on Sunday 16 March 2008, a small dark shape was detected coming into view on the starboard side of our SM30 side scan sonar display. In an otherwise featureless seabed. David Mearns soon classified this contact...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 16, 2008
HSK Kormoran Discovered in the Search for the HMAS Sydney II (16th March 2008)

There are high hopes that an enduring maritime mystery will soon be laid to rest, following the discovery of the HSK Kormoran off the West Australian coast. Today the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, along with the Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, the Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, Vice...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 15, 2008
HSK Kormoran Discovered

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Wreck of HSK Kormoran Discovered The wreckage of the German Raider HSK Kormoran was found by the search team on board the SV Geosounder at 17:30 (AWT) on March 12th, 2008 in the approximate position 26° 05' 49.4" S 111° 04' 27.5" E . With Kormoran’s sinking position established...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 15, 2008
14th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation We ran our first "higher-resolution" line late last evening past some suspicious looking sonar targets at the southern extremity of our search box. By higher-resolution, I mean that the SM30 sonar was operated at a narrower swathe setting than the normal 6km swathe we have used...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 14, 2008
13th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation After our early problems I am very pleased with how the search has progressed over the past couple of days. The Williamson & Associates SM30 side-scan sonar search system was selected for this project because it is one of the few commercially available sonars of its type in the world...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 13, 2008
12th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation A few days ago I wrote about the rhythm of a search expedition - how a good rhythm consists of a search line followed by a turn to the next line repeated many times over with monotonous regularity. We are finally starting to get into such a rhythm and this bodes well for the location of Sydney...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 12, 2008
11th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation We've had such a lousy string of luck since the start of this search it was about time that things started to go our way. An enormous amount of effort by the Williamson & Associates technicians, in particular Carter Le, has been put in to get us up and running again. So we were all...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 11, 2008
Frequently Asked Questions

When was the HMAS Sydney II Found by the Finding Sydney Foundation? Sunday 16th of March 2008 When was the HSK Kormoran Found by the Finding Sydney Foundation? Wednesday 12th of March 2008 Where is the wreck of the HMAS Sydney II located? 26° 14’ 37” S 111° 13’ 03” E , approximately 207km (128 miles) from the west coast (Steep Point) of Western Australia...

Posted to FAQ (Weblog) by admin on Mar 11, 2008
10th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation We have now been at sea for 8 days and are still being plagued by technical problems and unseasonably rough weather. A search line we started early this morning had to be aborted because I didn't feel we were getting good coverage of the seafloor. It is most important that whichever areas...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 10, 2008
9th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Shipwreck search projects generally fall into a rythym of running the side-scan sonar down a trackline followed by a turn to the next search trackline, repeated many times over. So a good rythym would be line, turn, line, turn, line, turn, etc. Unfortunately, our rythym has been line, recover...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 9, 2008
8th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation With Ophelia out of the way we were able to resume the search today and start to make a dent in the search box. However you compare it, our search box is extremely large. In marine terms it measures roughly 1,800 square nautical miles (a nautical mile is 15% longer than a statute mile), or...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 8, 2008
7th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation There is only one photo to go with our blogs today because there is only one subject that has dominated our day. The weather. Despite the fact that she was downgraded early in the day, Ophelia has continued to shadow the Geosounder and prevent us from recommencing the search. After Geosounder's...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 8, 2008
6th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Seach Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation When I said yesterday that more twists and turns were to come I wasn't expecting them to come so fast. The first twist was a particularly cruel one. Towards the end of our first sonar trackline it was clear that the SM30 towfish was having some problems that affected the quality of the...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 6, 2008
The Finding Sydney Foundation Approved by Treasurer as a Deductable Gift Recipient (7th Mar 2008)

The Hon Wayne Swan MP, Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Australia and The Hon Chris Bowen MP, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs, confirmed The Finding Sydney Foundation has been approved as a Deductable Gift Recipients (DGRs) and tax deductions are available to donors. The Finding Sydney Foundation is an organisation...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 6, 2008
5th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation The most anxious time for any search is the first sonar trackline through the search area. This is when you learn whether the area you are searching consists of either rough geological terrain or a flat smooth seabed. You also learn for the first time whether the weather and sea conditions...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 5, 2008
4th March 2008 Report

David Mearns - Search Director, The Finding Sydney Foundation Other than getting out of port safely the simple objective for today was to conduct a sea-trials of the two Williamson & Associates side-scan sonar systems before we got too far away from Geraldton and departed for the search area. Although the sonars were sea-trialled in Seattle just...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 4, 2008
3rd March 2008 Report

On the 29th February 2008 the vessel "SV Geosounder" set sail from Geraldton, Western Australia to find the resting place of the World War II cruiser HMAS Sydney II, tragically lost in November 1941 in the Indian Ocean with its entire crew of 645. The Geosounder has been chartered by the Foundation from DOF Subsea Aust Pty Ltd and is fitted...

Posted to Latest Search Reports (Weblog) by patrickf on Mar 3, 2008
Search For HMAS Sydney II Underway (3rd Mar 2008)

The Finding Sydney Foundation chartered vessel, DOF SV Geosounder, today left from Geraldton Harbour with the hopes of the nation sailing with her. On board is a team of international experts who offer Australia’s best chance of finding the resting place of the World War II cruiser HMAS Sydney II, tragically lost in November 1941 in the Indian Ocean...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Mar 3, 2008
Search For HMAS Sydney II On Target (14th Feb 2008)

The Finding Sydney Foundation (The Foundation) announced today it had awarded the Deep Tow Side Scan Sonar Search and Vessel and Survey Positioning Contracts for the upcoming search for HMAS Sydney II and HSK Kormoran. Both ships were lost following a battle off the Western Australian coral coast in November 1941. HMAS Sydney II and her complement of...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Feb 14, 2008
HMAS Sydney II Links on the Internet

Official Website of the Search http://www.findingsydney.com Virtual Memorial http://www.sydneymemorial.com Navy Seapower Centre http://www.navy.gov.au/spc/ HMAS Sydney II Ship Story http://www.navy.gov.au/spc/history/ships/sydney2.html History on the HMAS Sydney II from the Navy's Seapower Centre The Loss of the HMAS Sydney http://www.navy.gov.au...

Posted to Links (Weblog) by admin on Feb 1, 2008
Search For HMAS Sydney II (19th Nov 2007)

An announcement will take place today at the Western Australian Maritime Museum about how, when and where the first federally funded search for HMAS Sydney II will occur. Today is the 66th anniversary of the loss of HMAS Sydney II which was sunk during a battle off the Western Australian coast with the German raider Kormoran. Chairman of not-for-profit...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Nov 19, 2007
Public Appeal For Original Documents Relating To HMAS Sydney II (12th Nov 2007)

HMAS Sydney Search Pty Ltd. is appealing today to anyone who may have important original documents relating to the missing vessel HMAS Sydney II. HMAS Sydney Search Pty Ltd. is a not for profit company conducting the in-water search for the wreck, sunk off the Western Australian coast following a gun battle with the German Raider Kormoran, on 19 November...

Posted to Official Press Releases (Weblog) by admin on Nov 12, 2007