Four ships of the Royal Australian Navy have been named for the Yarra River in Victoria which rises north-east of Melbourne and flows into Port Phillip.
The first HMAS Yarra (D-79) was a River class torpedo boat destroyer laid down by Denny Brothers at Dumbarton in Scotland, launched on 9 April1910 by Mrs. N. J. Moore, wife of the Honourable Newton J. Moore, Premier of Western Australia, commissioned as a Royal Navy ship for the voyage to Australia on 10 September1910 at Greenock in Scotalnd, and passed to the control of the Australian government at Broome in Western Australia on 15 November1910.
Yarra operated with the fleet in the search for the German Pacific Squadron, took part in the capture of the German Colonies in the South West Pacific, was present at the surrender of German New Guinea at Rabaul on 13 September1914, assisted in the consolidation of the Australian occupation of New Guinea and New Britain, served with the British Far East Patrol at Sandakan in Borneo and Singapore, operated in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the British 5th Destroyer Flotilla, operated with an Allied Squadron in the Black Sea, returned to Australia on 21 May1919. HMAS Yarra paid off on 30 September1929 and was broken up at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard in 1930.
The second HMAS Yarra (U-77) was a Grimsby class sloop laid down by the Cockatoo Docks and Engineering at Sydney in New South Wales on 24 May1934, launched on 28 March1935 by Mrs. Parkhill, wife of Archdale Parkhill, Minister for Defence and commissioned on 21 January1936. HMAS Yarra, commanded by Lieutenant Commander John Rankin RAN, was sunk by the enemy Japanese cruisers Atago, Takao and Maya on 4 March1942 with the loss of 138 of her crew.
The third HMAS Yarra (F-07/45) was a River class destroyer escort laid down by the Williamstown Naval Dockyard at Melbourne in Victoria on 9 April1957, launched on 30 September1958 by Lady McBride, wife of the Minister for Defence and commissioned on 27 July1961.
HMAS Yarra paid off on 22 November1985.
The fourth HMAS Yarra is a Huon class minehunter laid down by Australia Defence Industries at Newcastle in New South Wales on 12 June1999, launched on 29 September2001 and commissioned on October 2002.
