HMAS Canberra

This site is dedicated to all the Royal Australian Navy personnel who served in HMAS Canberra FFG-02 when the Ship Commissioned in Seattle, Washington, USA on the 21st of March 1981 until its Decommissioning at Fleet Base West, Rockingham Western Australia on the 12th of November 2005.

 

Commander S.C. Mayer RAN

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Born and raised in Sydney, Captain Stuart Campbell Mayer joined the RAN in 1984 as a Seamen specialist. On completion of initial academic and professional training Mayer proceeded to sea and gained Bridge Watch-keeping Certificates in the Patrol Boat HMAS GLADSTONE and FFG 7 frigate HMAS DARWIN. Thereafter Mayer completed training as an Air Intercept Controller (AIC) at RAAF base Williamtown and returned to sea in HMA ships CANBERRA and SYDNEY.

A highlight of this time being service in SYDNEY as OOW, AIC and Boarding Officer during that ships operational deployment to the Arabian Gulf for operations during the 1990-91 Gulf war.

In 1993 Mayer commenced training as a Principal Warfare Officer (Direction) and graduated with distinction in 1994. As Direction Officer, Mayer served in HMA ships CANBERRA and ADELAIDE undertaking a wide range of overseas deployments and operations, a particular highlight including service as the Task Unit Operations Officer during OPERATION STABILISE - ADF operations in support of East Timorese independence.

In January 2000 Mayer left HMAS ADELAIDE, was promoted to Commander and posted to the United States as the first ADF Liaison officer to US Joint Forces Command based in Norfolk, Virginia. This posting provided diverse challenges that included conceptualising the impacts of emerging technologies, supporting capability development, developing improved regimes for coalition collaborative operations and working on the establishment of a naval four-eyes tactical development agreement.

Commander Mayer returned from the United States in mid 2002 and assumed command of the guided missile frigate HMAS CANBERRA in November. Mayer left CANBERRA in July 2004 and was promoted to the rank of Captain and assumed the position of Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at Maritime Headquarters (MHQ) Australia in January 2005. While posted to MHQ, Captain Mayer was loaned to the Australian Maritime Deployable HQ staff for duties as Commander Task Group (CTG) 58.1 - Northern Arabian Gulf Maritime Security Operations Commander - a duty he held between April and September 2005. Mayer returned to MHQ in October 2005 and resumed his duties as Chief Staff Officer (Operations). In January 2007 Captain Mayer attended the Australian Defence College and read for a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies. He assumed command of HMAS ANZAC in December 2007.

Mayer is a graduate of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, RAN Staff College, holds a BA from the University of New South Wales, an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland, an MA from Deakin University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). A retired rugby player with an avid interest in supporting the game, Mayer's pass times include sailing, bushwalking, wine tasting and a fruitless commitment to master golf.

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