TS BENDIGO

NLA Award

TS Bendigo receive Navy League's Annual Award as best "Australian Navy Cadet Unit 2003" - presented by Chief of Navy, VADM Chris Ritchie AO RAN in 2004.

Location: Multi User Depot, Junortoun, 3551
Postal Address: PO Box 876, BENDIGO VIC 3552
Parade: Friday Evening 1845 - 2200
Unit Telephone: (03) 5449 5545
Fax: Nil
Unit History - formed by Navy League of Australia - 16 October 1952. The Unit originally met in a ramshackle boatshed on the shore of Lake Weeroona close to the centre of the town. The Navy League invested funds in maintaining this building until the unit was relocated to a Nissen hut in the car park of the Ordnance factory. At this time the parent committee also established a camp at Lake Eppalock. The first CO was Des Nicholas, who was manager of the local radio station 3BO, which helped enormously with local recruiting. He was followed as CO in 1962 by his XO Jim Lundberg, who remained as CO for the next 19 years, with Mr Sam Trembath taking over as XO. The local Mayor was Colonel Snell, Army Reserves, who was a great supporter of the Navy League's Sea Cadets. The unit still has NLTS 'Eppalock' for maritime pursuits. In 2002 TS Bendigo celebrated their 50th Anniversary in The Boardwalk Restaurant located on the site of the original boatshed. Also in 2002 the unit was moved to Passchendaele Barracks at Junortoun. Selected as 'Most Efficient Unit' Victoria - 1972, 2003. Most "Efficient Unit in Australia" 2003.
STAFF: CO: LEUT Mark Pritchard ANC
XO: SBLT Patricia Ibbotson ANC
Coxswain: CPO ANC Peter Brown
Training Officer: PO ANC Ewen Pritchard
Voluntary Instructors: Michael St Clair, Melissa Cavendar
(revised 16 May 2007)