Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This day 75 years ago, the HMAS Perth was sunk in the Battle of the Sunda Strait. There were 681 sailors, airmen and civilians on the Perth; 353 were killed in the battle; and four of those who survived the fighting and reached the shore died of their wounds. The survivors were taken into captivity by the Japanese and 106 died during their captivity.

The Perth was in the company of the United States cruiser Houston. They had both been the only two large ships to survive the defeat in the Battle of the Java Sea in February. These disasters followed hard on the heels of the fall of Singapore, which we remembered and honoured here not so long ago. As these ships sailed through the Sunda Strait to Tjilatjap on the south coast of Java, they were overwhelmed by a much larger Japanese force. The Perth fought to the last of its ammunition. Captain Hector Waller gave the order to abandon ship and only then. The Houston was torpedoed and sank 20 minutes later. Waller was last seen standing on the bridge of his ship, and he was awarded a posthumous mention in dispatches for gallantry in the face of the enemy and for setting an example of wholehearted devotion to duty. What a remarkable generation they were. We honour and we remember the service and the sacrifice of the crew of the Perththose who lost their lives in the battle, those who were injured, those who were taken prisoner and died in captivity, and of course we honour the service of them all, including the 200 who returned home.

On Sunday, the President of Indonesia, President Joko Widodo, and I acknowledged the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the Perth and we reaffirmed our commitment to work together to strengthen cooperation in the area of maritime cultural heritage. We are working closely with the Indonesian government on how to protect the wreck of the Perth, and there will be a joint dive led by Indonesian authorities and our own National Maritime Museum in the course of this month. That is when it is scheduled. This is another occasion when we remember that extraordinary generation—the service and the sacrifice they made to keep us free. Lest we forget.

Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The ship bells of HMAS Perth are currently in the Perth Town Hall. They are a reminder of the battle in the Sunda Strait, off Indonesia, 75 years ago. HMAS Perth started life as an English warship which we then purchased off the English in 1939. Whilst we appropriately remember the circumstances of the sinking of the Perth, the Perth's battle honours reflect a part of the story of the Second World War which perhaps we do not talk enough about. I talk about our naval history in the Second World War. Today is the 116th anniversary of the formation of the Navy. It is the 50th anniversary of when we had the White Ensign, because we had to change our flag from the British flag because the British were not in the Vietnam conflict. We had to use the White Ensign. The point about the Perth is that it reflects the best of our naval traditions. It fought in the Atlantic, in the Malta Convoys which kept Malta free from the Nazi invasion and in the famous sea battle of Matapan where Australian warships took on far larger Italian and Axis forces and did very well. It supported our troops in Greece and the retreat. The Perth supported our Diggers in Crete. We made a valuable difference to that unsuccessful campaign. Then, of course, the Perth came to the Pacific.

As the Prime Minister said, there were 681 Australians on the vessel. Three hundred and fifty-three were killed in action, which is a horrendous number—frankly incomprehensible in today's life for us—but 106 of the survivors died in imprisonment. As the Prime Minister said, Captain Hector Waller exhibited the sorts of characteristics which make us more proud to be Australian. Many here would have had family who were seafarers in the First World War and the Second World War. Certainly I do. I have spoken to members of the family now passed about naval conflict. When you remind us of the Perth, the best tribute to the memory of the crewmen, including those from USS Houstonour American allies who died in service with the Perthis the simple plaque in the member for Brand's electorate, in the Rockingham Naval Memorial Park. It says these words: 'Still on watch in Sunda Strait.' We honour them. We remember them. Lest we forget.