Cape Leeuwin
Cape Leeuwin on the coast near Augusta with a Lighthouse that was built in 1895. In February 1945 the 'N'Class Destroyer HMAS Nizam,Captain Lt.Cdr.Cook,was in transit from Port Phillip Bay to Fremantle to join the Eastern Fleet. At approximately 2210hrs on February 11th the Nizam was 11 miles off Cape Leeuwin when it was hit by a king wave causing it to roll 60-70 degrees,ten men were thrown overboard and although the Nizam searched the area their bodies were never found.In 1991,at a reunion of the 'N'Class Destroyer Association in W.A.(the other vessels in this class were HMAS Napier,Nestor,Norman and Nepal) it was suggested that a memorial to those lost in this incident should be erected at Cape Leeuwin. The W.A.Branch of the Association undertook this task and with the help of donations from all over Australia erected a Memorial adjacent to the Lighthouse comprising a two metre high boulder with a brass plaque giving details of the event and the names of the ten sailors who died. On11th.February,1993 the Memorial was unveiled by Captain Cook LVO RAN Rtd.(pictured) and dedicated by Chaplain Tinney in front of some 150 Association members and friends,relatives of some of those who perished were also present;unfortunately,next of kin of Colin Ryder,Vincent Richardson and Alfred Kerr could not be found. Since then the February 11th.ceremony has become an annual event for the W.A.'N'Class Destroyer Association. In 2002 a memorial wall (shown right above) commemorating the other Corvettes Napier, Nestor, Norman and Nepal was built adjacent to the Nizam Memorial and dedicated by the Association's Patron Rear Admiral Kennedy OA RAN Rtd. at the annual rememberance ceremony. These five Destroyers,from 1940 to 1945 saw action in all oceans during WW2 and apart from the Nestor, Lost in 1942, were at the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay in 1945. It is estimated that some 5000 Australian sailors served on these Destroyers.