Placing women in, not beside, Navy history

The opening of an exhibition at HMAS Albatross has marked 85 years since the establishment of the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) and recognised generations of accomplished women.

The Women in Navy exhibition places the story of women in Navy where it belongs: within Navy history, not beside it.

Its focus is not simply on milestones, but on the sustained professionalism, courage and operational contribution that moved women from separate wartime service to shaping the service Australia relies on today.

Head Navy Engineering RADM Rachel Durbin opened the exhibition on July 2 and said it was an opportunity to examine Navy’s history with purpose.

“They shine a light on our history and force us to remember and contemplate,” RADM Durbin said.

“That is how we go forward making better decisions with better outcomes that contribute to the strong Navy this nation requires.”

The exhibition also acknowledges that progress was neither automatic nor complete. RADM Durbin reflected that many of the opportunities available to women today were built by earlier generations who had to prove their competence in conditions shaped by narrower expectations.

Today, about 3800 women serve in the Royal Australian Navy, representing about 25 per cent of the workforce.

The evening also broadened the meaning of service beyond those in uniform.

Sandi Foley De Vincenzo, a former WRANS dental assistant, spoke about her Navy family and the quiet strength of women whose work at home sustained service at sea.

“Service isn't always measured by medals. Sometimes it is measured in sacrifice,” she said.

Her words added a personal dimension to an exhibition focused on achievement. They recognised that Navy’s history includes women who served directly, and women who enabled service through resilience, labour and commitment that often went unrecorded.

Eighty-five years on, the exhibition presents a 125-year Navy changed by the women who served, challenged expectations and proved their place through performance.