Devonport Naval Base facts for kids
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The Devonport Naval Base is the main home for the Royal New Zealand Navy. It is located in Devonport, New Zealand, on Auckland's North Shore. This base is super important because it's the only place where New Zealand's navy ships are based and operate from. It has been a navy base for a very long time, since 1841!
The base is like a small city for the navy. It includes:
- HMNZS Philomel: This is the main office and administration building for the base.
- Fleet Support Organisation: These are the teams that help keep the ships running and supplied.
- Fleet Personnel and Training Organisation: These groups look after the navy staff and their training.
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What Happens at the Base?
Devonport Naval Base is where all the active ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy are based. This means it's a busy place where sailors prepare for missions and ships get ready to sail.
Even though the ships are at Devonport, the navy works with other places too. For example, the navy's special ammunition is kept safely at a place called Kauri Point Armament Depot in Auckland. Also, the very top navy leaders work at the main New Zealand Defence Force headquarters in Wellington. The people who plan and lead the navy's missions, like the Maritime Component Commander, are based near Trentham Military Camp in Upper Hutt.
Many land-based teams and services at Devonport and other places help support the ships and the navy people when they are out at sea or on duty.
Amazing Facilities at Devonport
The Devonport Naval Base has many important facilities and services. These help the navy do its job and keep its people healthy and trained.
Some of the cool things at the base include:
- Places for training new sailors and officers.
- Sports fields and areas for fun activities.
- A special dry dock for repairing ships (more on this below!).
- Engineering workshops to fix ship parts.
- Support for navy helicopters and planes.
- The Navy Hospital, which even has a special chamber for divers.
The base also has a modern power system. Navy ships use a special type of electricity (60-hertz power), which is different from the power in most New Zealand homes. So, the base has big converters that change the national power grid's electricity into the right kind for the ships. This saves a lot of money compared to using noisy diesel generators!
Learning at the RNZN College
The Royal New Zealand Navy College is also right here at Devonport Naval Base. This is where all the navy's training happens!
Young people who join the navy learn many different skills here. This includes:
- Recruit Training: This is where new sailors learn the basics of navy life.
- Junior Officer Training: Future leaders learn how to command and lead.
- Sea Survival Training: Everyone learns how to stay safe in the water.
- Specialised Training: Sailors also learn specific jobs, like how to operate ship systems, fix engines, or manage supplies.
The Famous Calliope Dock
One of the most famous parts of the base is the Calliope Dock. This is a huge drydock that was built way back in 1888, and it's still used today!
When it was built, the Calliope Dock was the largest drydock in the whole Southern Hemisphere. It was a very important place for the Royal Navy (the British Navy) because it could repair their big ships. The dock was named after Calliope Point, a piece of land that was dug out by hand over three years to create the dock.
Interestingly, one of the first ships to enter the dock was HMS Calliope, which shared the same name! The dock was first managed by the Auckland Harbour Board. Later, it became part of the navy base when the navy moved its operations to Devonport, right next to the dock.
