In 1936 Commander Rupert Long, OBE, RAN, Director of Naval Intelligence raised with retired Captain Maurice Blackwood, DSO, RN the possibility of raising a group of trained yachtsmen as a Naval Auxiliary Service. Discussions were held with HWG Nobbs and W Giles, both Sydney yachtsmen and a proposal sent to the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board that a Volunteer Coastal Patrol be established under the command of Captain Blackwood. The Naval Board supported this and on the 27^th March 1937 the Volunteer Coastal Patrol was established under the command of Captain Blackwood, DSO, RN (rtd) with H.W.G. Nobbs as Staff Officer Operations and W Giles as Staff Officer Administration.

During WW2 Coastal Patrol members became special constables and guarded commercial wharves, oil installations and bridges. By wars end, Patrol vessels had patrolled 128,000 miles of harbour and coastal waters and donated 393,000 man-hours of unpaid war service. They were granted the right to fly the Police Nemesis pennant as recognition of this service and the right to fly the NSW State Flag as their ensign.

Post war development saw the Patrol undertake civilian search and rescue operations as their primary role but maintain their original RAN inspired organisation structure, ranks and uniform. 1955 saw a democratically elected council formed which directed the development and administration of the Patrol and appointed the Officer Commanding. 1963 saw the Patrol become an incorporated company and the articles of association written. In 1974, Her Majesty the Queen granted the Patrol the privilege of adding the Royal prefix to its title when it became the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol.

Today the Patrol works closely with all government agencies in search and rescue and education to the boating public. They maintain constant watch in Radio Bases for marine traffic, work with the Water Police in search and rescue as well as crowd control at major maritime events, run education classes in seamanship, navigation, first aid and meteorology for the public as well as providing constant information to Radio Stations and TV stations regarding sea conditions etc.

All members of the Patrol are volunteers with a large proportion of their time devoted to fund raising to purchase the latest equipment and vessels.

Division History

October saw an announcement in the Community newspaper that a division of the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol had been formed in Nelson Bay under the command of Commander Kevin Clark and it invited members of the public to join.

Commander P Shevlin A.M. RAN was appointed Training Officer, Captain Peter Dawson Public Relations Officer and Flotilla Captain W.J. Thompson, a long time member of the Patrol from Broken Bay recently transferred to Nelson Bay as Operations Officer. An intensive program of education courses followed and the Radio Base established in a caravan situated at Nelson Head adjacent to the lighthouse residence.

By the end of the first year the Division had 63 members and in July 1993 permission was granted to permanently occupy the old gun sight on Nelson Head and the building commenced under the direction of member Mike Cleare. The Division went from strength to strength over the years and is today one of the foremost Divisions in Australia outgrowing the old gun sight and moving into a purpose built Base in 1992.

The Radio Base is on watch 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the all weather Arun Class lifeboat on call 24 hours a day. Education and supplying information to the public is still a major role as well as managing the Headland and the lighthouse museum that is open to the public during daylight hours. The Ladies Auxiliary work hard to raise money for the Division and have a gift shop within the museum complex.