HMAS Townsville was one of 15 Fremantle Class Patrol Boats (FCPBs) built for, and operated exclusively by, the Royal Australian Navy. She was the second navy ship to bear the name Townsville. The first HMAS Townsville was a Bathurst Class Australian Minesweeper, which served as a convoy escort vessel in the waters of Australia, the Pacific and New Guinea during World War II. She was decommissioned in 1946 and scrapped ten years later. Her battle honours (Darwin 1942, :Pacific 1942-1945 and New Guinea 1944 were inherited by her namesake.
The Fremantle-class patrol boats preceded the Attack-class patrol boats.
Brooke Marine Ltd of Lowestoft, UK, designed and built the first boat. All subsequent vessels were built in Australia by the Cairns shipbuilders, North Queensland Engineers and Agents (NQEA). Townsville, the second FCPB to be built in Australia, was launched from the NQEA slipway on 16 May 1981 by Lady Ramsay, wife of the Governor of Queensland, and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy on 18 July 1981. The ship's company comprised of between three and five officers, four senior sailors and 16 junior sailors. The ship was based at Cairns Naval Base (CNB) at HMAS Cairns in far North Queensland.
HMAS Townsville had a range of 2,360 nautical miles at 12 knots and a maximum speed of almost 30 knots. Displacing over 250 tonnes, the ship had an overall length of 42 metres and a beam of 7 metres. Powered by two large 16 cylinder MTU diesel engines, Townsville had a rapid turn of pace and could comfortably reach speeds in excess of 25 knots. It was equipped with high-definition navigational radar, the latest GPS satellite equipment, high and ultra-high frequency communications equipment, gyro compasses and echo sounder. Townsville was also fitted with a satellite navigation system that enabled the ship's position to be determined with great accuracy.
Armed with a 40/60 Bofors gun and two 12.7mm 50-Calibre close range machine guns, Townsville also carried two small craft for boarding and other boat operations. Townsville was well equipped and ideally suited to fulfill a wide range of operational missions and tasks.
The FCPBs were the Navy's principal contribution to Australia’s fisheries protection, immigration, customs and drug law enforcement operations. The vessels worked hand-in-hand with other Government agencies including the Australian Defence Force, Coastwatch, Customs, Immigration, and Australian Fisheries Management Authority, each year providing up to 1,800 patrol days as part of the Coastwatch-managed national surveillance effort
Townsville’s motto, 'Bold and Ready’, illustrates the philosophy embraced in support of her mission as she patrolled the expansive waters of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone. Action taken against vessels found to be involved in illegal activities often led to seizure, arrest and handover to the relevant government agency for subsequent prosecution by the authorities.
Royal Australian Navy patrol boats also formed an important part of national and international Search and Rescue operations thus further contributing to Australia's wider maritime interests.
HMAS Townsville was decommissioned on Friday 11 May 2007 in Cairns. The vessel was gifted to the Museum by the Commonwealth Department of Defence in the same month. HMA ships Townsville and Gladstone, likewise a museum vessel, are the only preserved FCPBs in Australia. Until 2015, the vessel was berthed at the former Curtain Brothers slipway, Ross Creek.
The Fremantle-class patrol boats were superseded by the Armidale-class patrol boats.
In order to ensure its ongoing structural integrity, the vessel's hull was refurbished in Cairns during 2015-2016. From 2016 until 2025, the vessel was berthed at the Townsville Marine Precinct, awaiting final relocation to the former Curtain Brothers slipway, originally established in 1891 as the Cleveland Foundry Slipway, the first slipway in Townsville.
In preparation for this move, the vessel was hauled out in 2024 by Rosshaven Marine for remedial works to ensure the integrity of her hull.
On 23 July 2025, HMAS Townsville was dry-docked at her final destination, visible from Ross Street and also from Ross Creek. Viewing will be further improved by the planned construction of a viewing platform, linked to a planned pedestrian walkway between the cruise ship terminal and the Neville George Memorial Park (also known as the Lighthouse Park) adjacent to the Maritime Museum. Eventually she will be open to guided visits.
We are searching for ex-crew members of HMAS Townsville and other Fremantles for sharing their personal stories about life on board. If you are one of them, or know about someone, please get in touch with the Museum. We would love to hear from you!