Sub-Lieutenant Ulusoy is a marine engineer officer on HMAS Newcastle. On Saturday, he prepared to return to the city he left as a small child in 1996. Only he would be returning by water.  

“It will be surreal,” Sub-Lieutenant Ulusoy said. “I remember when we moved to Perth, I kept whining to my Dad, ‘When are we going home to Newcastle?’. It would be interesting if he could see me now as a naval officer, going into Newcastle.”

Eren Ulusoy was one of about 350 people on board the Newcastle for Saturday’s voyage to the city after which she was named. The 189 members of the Royal Australian Navy frigate’s company were joined by their loved ones for the journey of about four hours from Sydney’s Garden Island naval base.

Some on board had sailed into Newcastle before. Chief Petty Officer Daniel Kilkolly grew up in Belmont. He has been in the navy for 21 years, and of all the ports he has visited, his hometown harbour remains his favourite. For this voyage, CPO Kilkolly was joined by his father, Lewis, a Hunter Valley coal miner and former serviceman in the Royal New Zealand Navy, and his brother-in-law Greg Keen, who was dressed in a Newcastle Knights jersey. 

"I remember seeing her get commissioned in Newcastle in 1993,” CPO Kilkolly said. “I was a young, bright-eyed teenager. I never imagined I'd end up on the Newcastle.” 

Seaman Tania Lee is also from Belmont. She has been in the Navy for a year, and the Newcastle is her first posting. Her life’s journey to the sea has been longer than that of many of her shipmates. After she raised two children, Seaman Lee’s partner encouraged her to pursue what she had dreamed of since school.

“And here I am,” said the 36-year-old, as she prepared for her first time to enter Newcastle from the water, and as a servicewoman. “I also did this to teach my children that no matter how old you are, you can do something.” 

Newcastle is at its most beautiful when viewed from the sea. Its topography, particularly Nobbys, looks even more dramatic from across the water. In some people’s minds, it may still wear the outdated moniker of “steel city”, but Newcastle is a harbour town. The commanding officer of HMAS Newcastle, Commander Mark Sirois, was aware of that, calling the city “a great maritime town”.

“Look at the amount of maritime traffic,” Commander Sirois said. “And it’s been a harbour town since its establishment. That speaks for itself.”

By mid-afternoon, having pushed through a gentle swell and into a north-easterly, the Newcastle was off Newcastle. The frigate cut across the pewter sea towards the entrance between Nobbys and Stockton. 

On the bridge, it was all business. With the Navigating Officer, Lieutenant Alec Fieldsend, beside him with a paper chart in his hands and an array of screens flashing information above him, Commander Sirois said entering Newcastle could be “pretty tricky”. He pointed out how narrow the channel was, being only about 100 metres in width, and there were the potential hazards of pleasure boats acting as unofficial escorts and welcoming vessels. 

As the Newcastle passed Nobbys, a louder welcome boomed out from Fort Scratchley. The fort was honouring the frigate with a seven-gun salute. In the space between each salvo from the fort, the ship returned the salute.

“We’re the only ship that is allowed to fire back at the fort, because we’ve been given Freedom of Entry [to the city],” Commander Sirois explained. He noticed the hundreds of people along the foreshores and smiled, “How can you not have goosebumps?”

Helping guide the Newcastle to her berth at West Basin was Leading Seaman Leticia Hosking. The ship’s helm is a small silver wheel, inscribed with a knight. “People expect a steering wheel, like a car,” she said. “But you definitely feel the [ship’s] movement.”

Once in the port, Seaman Tania Lee said she felt “quite emotional”.

“I’m so proud I got to be on this ship and to come into Newcastle,” she said.

After 21 years, Sub-Lieutenant Eren Ulusoy was finally back in Newcastle. 

“I think it’s been one of the most special days of my life,” he said. “Look at that beautiful church on the hill, and all those people waving as we came in. When you’re at sea, you can get worn out, but seeing this, that replenishes me.”