This is a list of commissioned naval bases of the Royal New Zealand Navy from its formation on 1 October 1941 to the present. The Royal New Zealand Navy follows the British tradition of commissioning land naval bases as though they were ships. The administrative structures that work for a ship work just as well for a land establishment. The commander of a ship can become the commander of a land establishment, and be entirely comfortable with the way the place is run. This simplifies the overall administration of the navy. For this reason, naval bases are sometimes referred to as stone frigates.
In earlier times or in wartime, naval bases actually were ships. HMS Philomel was an old cruiser which functioned as New Zealand's first naval base. HMNZS Kahu was a Fairmile B motor launch, and it functioned as an administrative base for the Fairmile flotillas during World War II.
It is also in this tradition for land establishments to be associated with one or more "name ships". However this association is largely ceremonial.
List of bases
NameName shipsDatesLocationNotesHMNZS CookHarptreeHDML 11831943–441944–46Clyde Quay, WellingtonShelly Bay, WellingtonHMNZS Cook IIHMNZS Kahu1943–44Solomon IslandsAdministrative base for Fairmile flotillasHMNZS IrirangiSDML P35541951–93WaiouruFormerly Waiouru W/T Station. Radio intercept station HMNZS Ngapona 1950–current Auckland Naval Reserve training baseHas a satellite unit at Tauranga HMNZS Olphert 1928–current Wellington Naval Reserve training base HMNZS Pegasus 1928–current Christchurch Naval Reserve training baseHMNZS PhilomelHMNZS Philomel1923–411941–471947–currentDevonportWas HMS Philomel Main RNZN Logistics and Training BaseHMNZS Philomel II1948–53WellingtonRenamed WakefieldHMNZS TamakiNZ Navy Museum: Training Expansion – HMNZS Tamaki1941–631963–2000 Motuihi IslandFort Cautley, Narrow Neck Training baseTraining baseNow part of HMNZS PhilomelHMNZS Tasman1944–561975–?LytteltonDevonport HMNZS Toroa ?–current Dunedin Naval Reserve training baseHMNZS Wakefield1954–currentWellingtonCommand and administration staff for naval personnel resident outside the Greater Auckland area. Formerly Philomel II HMNZS Waiouru Waters, S.D. 1956, The Royal New Zealand Navy page 447 re HMNZS Irirangi 1943–51 Waiouru W/T (Wireless Telegraph) Station. Renamed Irirangi
HMNZ Dockyard is managed by Babcock New Zealand Ltd on behalf of the Chief of Naval Staff through a commercial management agreement.Development of naval repair facilities at Auckland, New Zealand 1841–1962 – Bell, J.A.; AMRINA Deputy Constructive Manager HMNZ Dockyard This is not a commissioned ship; it is instead analogous to HMNB Devonport or HMNB Portsmouth.
See also Current Royal New Zealand Navy ships List of ships of the Royal New Zealand Navy
Notes
References Walters, Sydney David (1956) The Royal New Zealand Navy: Official History of World War II, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington Online McDougall, R J (1989) New Zealand Naval Vessels., Page 157-160. Government Printing Office. Royal New Zealand Navy – Official web site