This web site has been set up for the specific purpose of informing all concerned of the project to build Navy Square as a permanent Historical Site, symbolic of the evolution of our Royal Australian Navy from the earlier Colonial Navy, remembering the thousands of Australian men and women from all States who passed this way, some of whom did not return.

Port Melbourne - Was the Navy ever there???
From 1859 to 1992, tens of thousands of Navy men and women passed this way - some never to return. Yet, there is not a solitary marker which records Port Melbourne's Naval Heritage.

In 2009, it will be 150 years since a Naval presence was created in Port Melbourne, leading to the subsequent HMAS Lonsdale. Yet today, other than the Drill Hall (built in 1911) in Bay St., there is no evidence whatsoever of there ever being a Naval presence in the area.

Post Office 1862 and first building of Royal Australian Navy 1911

Background:  Some 10 years ago, Don Boyle and Mac Gregory (Naval Historical Society) met with the Victorian Liberal Government Planning Minister, Robert MacLellan to seek the return to the Naval family of the Historic 1911 built Drill Hall in Bay Street, Port Melbourne. The Commonwealth had given the building to the State Government after the closure and sale of the HMAS Lonsdale site. In turn, the State Government had allowed Circus OZ to both occupy and use the building for its rehearsals. The Minister offered to take our proposal to Cabinet but declared he could not win that proposition.

That project was shelved and the Victorian Chapter of the NHS decided to seek to build a permanent Historical Site to our Colonial Navy and the RAN, and for it to be located on Beaconsfield Parade at the end of Bay Street, Port Melbourne and given the name Navy Square.

Approval in principle of the Port Phillip Council was gained and a small parcel of land on the beach front on what used to be the old town pier was earmarked for the project.

However, such a project does not come cheap. Early indications are that it could cost between $500,000.00 and $1,000,000.00.

On the 2nd May 2007 a meeting was held at the Waverly RSL and representatives from nearly every Naval Association in Victoria was in attendance. Out of this meeting a Steering Committee was formed for the Navy Square project.

The first draft of the proposed Navy Square Historical Site at Port Melbourne, Victoria, a symbolic figure of a sailor representing all ranks and rates, both male and female of the RAN.

There is not a solitary marker which records Port Melbourne's Naval Heritage.

Web site design by Laurie 'Lozza' Pegler © 2006-07

This page updated: 03-Jul-2007

Please direct all enquiries regarding this web site to the

Best viewed with Internet Explorer with screen resolution set to 1024x768