95 YEARS IN OTAGO

Over King’s Birthday

Weekend at HMNZS TOROA, the Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve Otago Division held a reunion to celebrate the Division’s 95th anniversary.

The reunion, with 84 attending, included a meet-and-greet on Friday. Saturday began with a wreath-laying ceremony at Queen’s Gardens in Dunedin, followed by a visit to the Toitu Museum, and dinner at the Leviathan Hotel. Sunday started with ‘Up Spirits’ and rum issue, with a barbecue lunch.

The Otago Division of the RNVR was established in June 1928, based at the Kensington Army Hall. Sea training was carried out on HMS WAKAKURA, a Castle-class trawler purchased from Britain in 1926 as a reservist training vessel.

The Division commissioned as HMNZS TOROA on 4 December 1951. The unit operated Motor Launches and Inshore Patrol Craft up until 2005.

Clockwise below: Ex-HMNZS TOROA Officers Stu Duff, Brendon Moore, Bob McKillop and Matt Harger; Partners' photo; Brian Dowling, Heather Johnson and Lyall Mc Robb; Group shot during the pre-drinks gathering.