Historical information

HMAS COLAC WAS LAUNCHED ON 30 AUGUST 1941 AT MORTS DOCK SYDNEY.
ONE OF SIXTY MINESWEEPERS, (CORVETTES), BUILT DURING WW11. TWENTY SIX WERE BUILT FOR THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY, COMMISSIONED AT SYDNEY ON THE 6TH JANUARY1942.
LATER IN JANUARY1942, COLAC WAS ASSINGED TO ANTI-SUBMARINE PATROL, OPERATION BETWEEN TOWNSVILLE
AND NEW GUINEA.
IN DECEMBER 1942 COLAC AND HER SISTER SHIPS, BALLARAT AND BROOME WERE ASSIGNED TO TRANSPORT AUSTRALIAN TROOPS TO THE BUNA AREA.
THE THREE VESSELS REACHED THE LANDING POINT, AT CAPE SUDEST,NEAR ORO BAY.
ALL 762 TROOPS LANDED SUCCESSFULLY. DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE MONTH COLAC WAS INVOLVED IN TROOP CARRYING.
IN MARCH 1943, COLAC DETACHED FROM OPERATIONS IN FORWARD AREAS AND WAS ASSINGED TO CONVOY ESCORT DUTY ON THE AUSTRALIAN EAST COAST. ENEMY SUBMARINES WHERE OPERATING IN THE AREA, AND ON THE 26TH
APRIL, A CONVOY OF FIVE SHIPS, ESCORTED BY COLAC AND BALLARAT WERE ATTACKED ABOUT 20 MILES
OFF CAPE BYRON.
THE BRITISH SHIP, M V LIMERICK WAS HIT BY A TORPEDO AND SANK. COLAC RESCUED ALL BUT TWO OF THE LIMERICKS CREW.
JULY 1943 COLAC RETURNED TO THE ESCORT, OF CONVOYS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AN NEW GUINEA, WHICH KEPT HER
ALMOST CONSTANTLY AT SEA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR. IN JANUARY 1944 SHE RESUMED ESCORT DUTIES
OFF THE EAST COAST FOR CONVOYS, FOR A BRIEF PERIOD.
THE SHIP RETURNED TO NEW GUINEA WATERS IN 1944 AND 1945.
EARLY 1945 COLAC, IN THE COMPANY OF HMAS SWAN AND SISTER SHIP HMAS DELORAINE, AND HMAS DUBBO,
GAVE BOMBARDMENT SUPPORT TO OPERATIONS IN THE WEWAK AREA. TARGETS INCLUDED MUSCHA ISLAND,
KAIRISU ISLAND ,AND CAPE SAMIER AND WEWAK.
IN MAY, COLAC PROCEEDED TO BOUGAINVILLE, IN THE SOLOMON ISLAND WHERE SHE TOOK PART IN OPERATIONS TO PREVENT JAPANESE TROOPS ON CHOISEUL ISLAND, FROM EVACUATING TO BOUGANVILLE, AND TO HARASS THE ENEMY AND TO DESTROY THEIR INSTALLATION ON THE COAST.
DURING THESE OPERATIONS COLAC SUBTAINED HER FIRST CASUALTIES. ON THE 26 MAY SHE RECEIVED TWO HITS FROM ENEMY SHORE BATTERIES. THE FIRST KILLED TWO RATINGS. AND WOUNDED TWO OTHERS, WHILE THE SECOND SHELL STRUCK THE SHIP ON THE WATERLINE. AFTER THROWING ALL DEPTH CHARGERS AND FITTINGS OVERBOARD ,SHE WAS ABLE TO PROCCEDTO TREASURY ISLAND; BUT HAD TO BE TAKEN UNDER TOW TO BLANCHE HARBOUR. AFTER REPAIRS, SHE WAS TOWED TO FINSCHHAFEN IN NEW GUINEA. FROM THERE THE COLAC WAS SENT TO SYDNEY. SHE ARRIVED ON 18TH JUNE 1945, TO GO INTO DOCKYARD HANDS. THE SHIP WAS STILL IN DOCKYARD HANDS WHEN THE HOSTILITIES ENDED ON 15 AUGUST 1945.
SHE WAS THEN COMMISIONED INTO RESERVE, AT SYDNEY ON 27 NOVEMBER 1945, WITHOUT BECOMING OPERATIONAL. SHE STEAMED 199,991 MILES SINCE COMMISSIONING.
ON 20 FEBURAY 1951 COLAC RECOMMISSIONED FOR SERVICE AS A TRAINING SHIP FOR NATIONAL SERVICE TRAINEES AND NAVAL RESERVE PERSONNEL. SHE SERVED ON THE AUSTRALIAN STATION FOR TWO YEARS. PAID OFF INTO RESERVE AT SYDNEY ON 30 JANUARY 1953 SHE HAD STEAMED A FURTHER 33,317MILES .
AFTER NINE YEARS IN RESERVE, COLAC WAS TAKEN IN HAND IN 1962 FOR CONVERSION TO A TANK CLEANING VESSEL .COLAC CEASED SERVICE AS A TANK CLEANING VESSEL ON THE 30 SEPTEMBER 1983.
HMAS COLAC WAS SUNK BY A MK48 WARSHOT TORPEDO FIRED BY HMAS OVENS OFF JARVIS BAY ON 4 MARCH 1987