Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Hi Mac.

Hope you had a good Christmas and New Years. I picked up an interesting little souvenir on eBay recently, an HMAS Canberra spoon (see attached image). The dealer who sold this item thought it to be circa 1930's, which I think may be about right. The badge on the spoon closely resembles illustrations of the ship's interim badge in Vic Cassells' "The Capital Ships". Do you think spoons like this one were made for the launching of the ship or when it arrived for service in Australia, or could they perhaps have been used on the ship itself? Either way, a nice little item. Don't worry - I'll keep it out of the cutlery draw!

Kind regards,

Martin Elliget
Fig Tree Pocket QLD Australia

TK,

A nice little piece of the past.

Mac.

Martin,
 
We have put a photo of your Canberra spoon up on AHOY, it looks very elegant. I would not be suprised if they were produced at the time we had both Canberra and Australia built for the RAN.

It was about 1928 when they first made their way from England to Australia. Does your spoon have a maker's name engraved on the back?

My Uncle, Arthur Mackenzie Greening, my Mother's brother, after whom I was named, came out in Canberra as a Warrant Gunner. He was a diving officer, who in fact conducted the first Diving Course at FND many years earlier.

From his family of six children, Jesse, Jack ( as an Able Seaman Diver, he was one of the diving crew that dived on a sunken Japanese Midget Submarine on the 1st of June in 1942 (see Japanese Midget Submarines Attack Sydney Harbour on the night of May31/June 1, 1942), after the abortive attack of the three midgets on Sydney Harbour) Joan, and Charlie had all joined the Royal Australian Navy.

My Uncle Mac went on to reach the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and during WW2 was appointed to HMAS Torrens at Semaphore in South Australia.
 
In bringing out Canberra, Uncle Mac carried a new bicycle for his son, and my cousin Jesse ( named after my Dad, Jesse Herbert Gregory ) which in due course I inherited.
 
Before moving to SA, the family lived at Eskdale Road Caulfield, close to the Racecourse, where Jesse and I would go jabbying as young boys.
 
Now Martin, I am sure you were just waiting to get all that useless information.
 
How is your Dad? my regards to you both.
 
Yours,
Mac.

back to letters index