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Robert Joseph Richardson
1933 -
Robert was born on the 4th of November 1933 and raised on a sheep station on the outskirts of Quilpie, Queensland. His early childhood on the land instilled in him a deep love of the Australian bush, a passion he still holds to this day.
At the age of 17 and a half, Robert joined the Royal Australian Navy in Brisbane in 1951. He began his naval training at HMAS Cerberus (Flinders Naval Depot), completing a six-month seaman’s course before being posted to HMAS Gladstone for sea time experience. During this period, he travelled to Tasmania and later transferred to HMAS Australia, a light cruiser.
Aboard HMAS Australia, Robert sailed to Papua New Guinea and throughout the Pacific islands, helping to show the Australian flag in the years following World War II. Upon returning to Australia, he undertook further training at Flinders in gunnery, landing party operations and small arms courses, specialising mainly in 4.5-inch guns.
In September 1952, Robert joined HMAS Anzac and sailed for service in the Korean War. His first duties in Korea were with the United Nations coastal fleet protecting the western coastline. HMAS Anzac carried out coastal patrols, shore bombardments, blockades and escort duties for United States aircraft carriers. Naval gunships frequently moved close to shore to destroy trains and railway infrastructure, disrupting enemy supply routes.
On 16 November 1952, the Battle-class destroyer HMAS Anzac (D59) was ambushed by North Korean shore batteries while anchored near Cho Do Island. Under heavy fire, the ship was forced to rapidly “slip” its anchor cable, leaving behind a marker buoy so the anchor could later be recovered. Robert carried out this critical task himself before the ship engaged in a fierce 23-minute running artillery duel, successfully silencing the enemy guns.
During action stations, Robert served as Trainer of A Turret and Captain of the 40mm Bofors gun for defence duties. At defence stations, he was also assigned as Loader of A Turret. He vividly recalls the brutal Korean winters, where temperatures often ranged between 30 and 40 degrees below zero.
After returning to Australia, Robert served on HMAS Bataan and later as Quartermaster on HMAS Platypus, HMAS Tobruk, HMAS Melbourne and finally HMAS Moreton before being discharged from the Navy in 1957.
Robert returned to Korea and Japan in 1954, while serving aboard HMAS Tobruk, Robert suffered an acute attack of appendicitis on his return. Unwilling to trust the ship’s doctor to perform the operation, he was transferred to a hospital in Heidelberg, Victoria, where he underwent surgery to have his appendix removed. It was there that he met the love of his life.
When a young nurse, a refugee from the former Yugoslavia, walked into his hospital ward, Robert turned to the patient beside him and said, “I’m going to marry that girl.” The nurse was Adela Ljubic. Two years later, Robert and Adela were married in a church in Heidelberg.
The couple settled in Brisbane, where they built a life together and raised four children. Robert and Adela shared a long and devoted marriage until Adela’s passing in 2020. Robert continues to reside in Brisbane in regular contact with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
A special thankyou to Michelle Fisher, daughter of Robert, for providing the research on her father’s life.
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