DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6265 3343, Fax: 02 62656946
MSPA 218/09
Friday, 17 July 2009
AUSTRALIAN NAVY TAKES NEW YORK BY STORM
Two Australian warships, HMA Ships Sydney and Ballarat, will arrive in New York
on Sunday for a four-day visit, as part of a round-the-world trip to promote Australia.
New York is giving the Australians the VIP treatment, inviting them to promote the
tour on the ‘Astrovision Screen’ in Times Square.
The Australians have been given not one, but two, chances to star on the coveted big
screen: There will be a 15-second segment promoting the ship’s open day, which will
be seen four times every hour for the duration of the four-day visit; as well as a 30-
minute live feed of a photo shoot with members of both ships’ companies in Times
Square, which will be seen by around one-and-a-half million people.
HMAS Sydney’s Commanding Officer, Captain Peter Leavy, says the airtime was
unexpected but most welcome. “This is a great honour and a fantastic opportunity for
both the Navy and the Australian people,” Captain Leavy said. “The last time a RAN
warship visited New York was HMAS Hobart in 1976.”
The visit will also include a VIP tour of Ground Zero and the Tribute Centre, where
both ships’ Commanding Officers will join Commander Australian Fleet, Rear
Admiral Nigel Coates AM, RAN and other dignitaries. Rear Admiral Coates will lay
a wreath on behalf of the Royal Australian Navy in memory of those that lost their
lives on 11 September, 2001.
New York marks the first of three Great White Fleet reciprocal port visits for Sydney
and Ballarat. Following New York, the ships will visit Baltimore and Norfolk before
visiting the Caribbean.
The Australian frigates will be open to the public at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal at
Pier 88 on 21 July, providing Americans with the chance to mix with some Aussies.
Northern Trident 09 is a six-month international deployment aimed at supporting
Australian Government priorities in Western Europe, North America, and West and
North Asian countries.
Media note: Vision from the Astrovision Screen in Times Square will be fed to the
Federal Parliament House Press Gallery at 2:30pm today, 17 July 2009.
Media contact: Defence Media Liaison (02) 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
