HMAS Banks

HMAS Banks (GPV 901/Y266/G244/244) was an Explorer class general-purpose vessel of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), serving in a range of capacities from 1960 until 1995. She was named in honour of Sir Joseph Banks, the botanist aboard HM Bark Endeavour during the discovery of the eastern coast of Australia in 1770.

Design and construction
The Explorer class was a two-ship class of general purpose vessels built for the RAN. The ships had a displacement of 207 tons at standard load and 260 tons at full load. Banks was 90 ft long between perpendiculars and 101 ft long overall, had a beam of 22 ft, and a draught of 8 ft. Propulsion machinery consisted of GM diesels, which supplied 348 shp to the two propeller screws, and allowed the vessel to reach 9 kn. The ship's company consisted of 14 personnel. The ship's armament of light weapons (usually .50 calibre machine guns) were only fitted as needed.

Banks was laid down by Walkers Limited of Maryborough, Queensland in January 1959 and launched on 15 December 1959 by Mrs. W H Harrington, wife of the Second Naval Member of the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board. She commissioned into the RAN on 16 February 1960 with pennant number GPV 901. Banks wore the pennant numbers GPV 901, Y266, G244, and finally 244 during her career.

Operational history
On completion, Banks was initially deployed to northern Australia for fishery surveillance. In April 1961, the ship surveyed the Adelaide River area; the first seagoing ship in 50 years to make the Adelaide River passage. During 1962, Banks undertook surveys around northern Australia, then spent 1963 to 1966 in Papua New Guinea, attached to the RAN's Papua New Guinea Division and carrying a mixed Australia-PNG complement.

In 1966, Banks returned to Sydney for a refit. On completion, she was assigned to Port Adelaide as a training vessel for the port's Royal Australian Navy Reserve division. While here, the ship was attached to the naval base HMAS Encounter (naval base). Banks remained in South Australia until November 1982, when she was replaced by the patrol boat HMAS Aware (P 91). Banks was assigned to the Target Services Group at HMAS Creswell, Jervis Bay in December. During May 1980, Banks used to convey the anchor stock recovered by the Society for Underwater Historical Research and others at the wreck site of Loch Vennachar from Kingscote to Port Adelaide.

On 17 December 1982, the ship was formally decommissioned, but remained in service at Jervis Bay. In 1985, Banks was reassigned to the naval base HMAS Waterhen (naval base).

In 1995, Banks left Sydney to undergo a major refit at Port Macquarie, however the refit was terminated on 1 September 1995 after a fire onboard. Banks was sold shortly after to Pleasure Cruises Australasia, Ulladulla, New South Wales, who converted her into a charter vessel, MV Banks.