General News
24 December, 2025
History meets the present
One of the many displays at Jeparit’s Wimmera Mallee Pioneer Museum is a collection of artefacts and documents relating to the HMAS Jeparit, once a cargo vessel for the Australian National Line.
The ship was constructed between 1962 and 1963 and was originally the M.V. Jeparit.
In 1966, she began transporting goods and supplies to the Australian military forces in South Vietnam, and in 1969, she was commissioned as Royal Australian Navy Supply Ship HMAS Jeparit, her final voyage being in March 1972, returning with troops, vehicles and supplies.
Why was the vessel named Jeparit?
When the ship was launched in Brisbane in October 1963, Mrs Isabel Green was given the honour of naming and launching the vessel.
Mrs Green was the sister of then-Prime Minister Robert Menzies, and their association with Jeparit when they were children led to the naming of M.V. Jeparit.
As a young child, Isabel Menzies, along with her siblings, had attended Jeparit State School.
Several Jeparit people - Mr Stan Werner, Mr Bill Kelsey and Mr Allan Preston – travelled to Brisbane for the launch and, as special guests, were taken on a tour of the vessel.
The Jeparit’s cargoes included foreign aid and equipment.
One of the ship’s four cargo holds was dedicated to transporting Aussie beer, food and canteen supplies for the troops.
Jeparit became a favourite with Aussie troops and was fondly known as ‘The Big J’.
Her arrival dates in Vung Tau, South Vietnam, were known as ‘J days’ and the countdown to her arrival was ’J minus…days’.
The people of Jeparit commissioned a painting of a river scene for the officers’ Smoke Room on the vessel.
This painting by Czech-born Adelaide artist Charles Frydrych is now on display at the Pioneer Museum along with many other artefacts.
The ship’s bell; a life buoy; the original engineering plans; many photos of the vessel; part of the rope which was cut at the 1963 launch; and even an original South Vietnam flag which, in 1967, was presented to the Jeparit Chamber of Commerce by Mrs Isabel Green who had launched the Jeparit.
The Museum also has a copy of the history of the vessel, which goes into detail about her being boycotted by unions in the late 1960s and 1970s during the anti-war protests.
A rich history indeed!
HMAS Jeparit was decommissioned in 1972 and received the battle honour “Vietnam 1969-1972” in recognition of her service and 43 voyages between Australia and South Vietnam.
The vessel was sold in 1979, after which the ship’s bell was presented to Jeparit Primary School, and this is the bell now in the Pioneer Museum.
The former HMAS Jeparit continued sailing under various names, including Pleias (then owned by a Greek Shipping Company), the Celestial when owned by a Panama company, Maria M. and finally Sea Coral.
Her final voyage was in 1993 to India, where she was broken up.
However, HMAS Jeparit’s story continues in 2025.
Recently, the Jeparit and District Historical Society was contacted by Shane and Kerry Wescott of Donnybrook, who own one of the Land Rover vehicles which had travelled to and from South Vietnam on board the Jeparit.
The Wescotts are hoping to bring their prized 1970 Land Rover – named ‘Vera’ – to Jeparit soon, providing the local community with an opportunity to see ‘Vera’, whose early history was associated with Jeparit.
Shane and Kerry have also made available to the Museum, following negotiations with the Australian War Memorial, digital copies of two inventories detailing the full complement of cargo during two of the Jeparit’s trips between Australia and South Vietnam.
“The Jeparit display at the Pioneer Museum is a very important echo from 60 years ago, but the recent contact with Mr Wescott demonstrates that there are often links between the dim past and today, says WMPM and Jeparit and District Historical Society committee member Craige Proctor.
“It is a privilege being able to share these stories from the past and the present, with the local community, especially when they relate to significant periods in our nation’s history.”
