On behalf of all Tasmanians, I am delighted to welcome the Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Sheean and her crew to Tasmania.
HMAS Sheean is named after Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean of Latrobe.
Following a decades long campaign by the Sheean family and others, Teddy was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross last year for his actions onboard HMAS Armidale on 1 December 1942.
He refused the chance to board a lifeboat and a chance of survival while his ship was sinking, returned to his Oerlikon gun, attracted enemy fire, damaged enemy aircraft and went down with the ship while defending his shipmates from enemy attack. He was just 18.
Teddy’s Victoria Cross is the 101st awarded to an Australian, 15th to a Tasmanian and 1st for the Royal Australian Navy.
It is an absolute honour to have the vessel named after this outstanding Tasmanian hero back in his home state.
The motto of the HMAS Sheean is "Fight On"—a fitting reminder of Teddy’s extraordinary bravery and sacrifice.