Laid Down: 19th April 1943.
Launched: 30th September 1944.
Completed: 5th February 1949.
Machinery: Four Admiralty 3-drum boilers delivering 40,000shp to 2-shaft parsons single reduction geared turbines.
Displacement: 15,740 tons standard, 19,500 tons deep load.
Dimensions:
Length: 695 feet overall.
Width: 112 feet 6 inches.
Draught: 25 feet maximum.
Armament: Six twin 40mm Bofors, eighteen single 40mm Bofors and four single 3-pounder saluting guns.
Performance:
Speed: 24.5 knots
Endurance: 8,300 miles at 20 knots.
Crew: 1,300.
Flight Deck: 690 feet by 106 feet, fitted with ten arrester wires of 20,000lb capacity at 87 knots, and two barriers. One BH3 catapult rated at 20,000lb at 56 knots.
Hanger: 275 feet long, 52 feet wide and 17 feet 6 inches high.
Lifts: Two lifts of 15,000lb capacity, one fore and one aft.
Aircraft: 42.
Aircraft stores: 98,600 gallons of aviation gasoline, 18in torpedoes, 1,000lb MC bombs, 500lb SAP bombs, 3in Rocket projectiles, MK 11 depth charges, 20mm cannon ammunition, flares and pyrotechnics.
Brief History: HMAS Sydney (R17) was commissioned in Devonport on 16th December 1948 and worked up in UK water with 20 CAG comprised of 805 and 816 ANAS. She sailed to Jarvis bay, arriving in May 1949 and disembarked ANAS to RANAS Nowra.
She returned to the UK in April 1950 and then back to Australian in November 1950 and worked up for operations off Korea. On 27th September 1951 stores and aircraft were transferred from Glory and the ship embarked 805, 808 and 817 ANAS and a USN Dragonfly helicopter. For details of HMAS Sydney;s participation in Korea, see HMAS Sydney in Korea.
After seven patrols off Korea, Sydney was relieved by HMS Glory in January 1952 and in October 1952 she observed the British atomic bombs trials at Monte Bello Island. HMAS Sydney represented the RAN at HM Queen Elizabeth's coronation review at Spithead and 817 ANAS took part in the fly-past.
HMAS Sydney patrolled off the Korean coast with UN forces from December 1953 and returned to Australia in June 1964 and disembarked ANAS. Sydney relieved HMAS Vengeance as training ship in 1955. In 1958 she was paid off in reserve and in 1961 was converted into a fast troop transport with all operating equipment for fixed wing aircraft removed and her hanger was converted into accommodation for troops. From 1962 she was used to support Australian forces in Vietnam until she was paid off into reserve in 1973.
On 23rd December 1975, the ship was towed from Sydney to be broken up by Dong Kuk Steel Mill Co., South Korea.
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