At anchor at Athol Buoy Naval mooring awaiting sale. HMAS Melbourne (R21) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Operating from 1955 until 1982, she was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to serve in the RAN. Melbourne was the only British Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions.

Class
Modified Majestic Class
Type
Light Fleet Aircraft Carrier
Pennant
R21
Builder
Vickers Armstrong Ltd, Barrow-in-Furness, England
Laid Down
15 April 1943
Launched
28 February 1945
Launched by
Lady Anderson, wife of the Chancellor of the Exchequer
Commissioned
28 October 1955
Decommissioned
30 June 1982
Dimensions & Displacement
Displacement
15 740 tons (standard)
20 000 tons (full load)
Length 701 feet 5 inches (overall)
Beam 80 feet 2 inches
Draught 25 feet 5 inches
Flight Deck 690 feet 8 inches