HMAS Emu

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Last Audit: 2025-12-07 | Last Change: 2025-12-07
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HMAS Emu (DT931) was a tugboat that served in the Royal Australian Navy, between 1946 and 1959, largely as a salvage and rescue vessel in Northern Australian waters off Darwin.[2]

The lede correctly states that HMAS Emu was a tug in RAN service from 1946 to 1959 and that she operated in northern Australian waters around Darwin — these points are present and sourced in the article body. The body, however, shows Emu performed a mix of tasks (patrol, surveillance, salvage and rescue). Saying the vessel served "largely as a salvage and rescue vessel" gives a stronger impression of primary purpose than the body strictly supports with a single source; a more neutral summary that reflects the variety of roles and ties the claim to the RAN source (and ideally additional independent coverage) will better satisfy verifiability and proportionality.
Minor issues. The lede's core facts (service as a tug, service years 1946–1959, and operations in northern Australian waters based at Darwin) are supported by the article body and the Sea Power Centre RAN source, so the lede follows the body (WP:LEDEFOLLOWSBODY) and is verifiable (WP:V). However, the phrase "largely as a salvage and rescue vessel" makes a weighting claim that should be clearly reflected by the body; the body does describe multiple salvage and rescue operations but also lists patrol and surveillance duties, so the lede should avoid implying an exclusive or predominant single role unless supported by multiple independent sources. Recommend slightly rephrasing to match the body’s emphasis and, where possible, add an independent secondary source to corroborate the claim about primary duties.
HMAS Emu (DT931) was a diesel tug that served in the Royal Australian Navy from 1946 to 1959, operating from Darwin and performing patrol, surveillance, salvage and rescue duties in northern Australian waters.[2]

Construction and commissioning

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HMAS Emu was built at Mort's Dock in Sydney, Australia, and launched on 25 June 1946 as Diesel Tug (DT) 931. After trials in Sydney, she was commissioned under Lieutenant Cyril M Boas, RANR (S) on 30 July 1946. She would not be renamed HMAS Emu until December 1950.[2]

Paragraph Analysis:
The paragraph states basic factual events (builder, launch date and name at launch, trials and commissioning with officer name and date, and renaming date). Those are the kinds of facts an official navy history typically records, so the single cited Royal Australian Navy page likely supports them. However, using only an official-service source leaves room for improvement: independent secondary sources or contemporary press coverage would better establish neutrality and verifiability. The wording "would not be renamed" is slightly awkward for an encyclopedic statement and should be changed to the simple past tense.
The single cited source (Sea Power Centre — Royal Australian Navy: https://seapower.navy.gov.au/history/units/hmas-emu) appears to support the construction location (Mort's Dock, Sydney), launch date (25 June 1946 as Diesel Tug DT 931), commissioning after trials on 30 July 1946 under Lieutenant Cyril M. Boas, RANR (S), and the renaming in December 1950. The prose is neutral and does not present original analysis, but reliance on one official Royal Australian Navy page means verifiability would be strengthened by adding independent secondary sources. Recommend an inline citation to the cited page, a retrieval date, and, where possible, corroboration from independent naval history or contemporary newspapers to satisfy WP:V and WP:RS standards.
HMAS Emu was built at Mort's Dock in Sydney and launched on 25 June 1946 as the Diesel Tug (DT) 931. After trials in Sydney, she was commissioned on 30 July 1946 under Lieutenant Cyril M. Boas, RANR (S). She was not renamed HMAS Emu until December 1950. [cite: Sea Power Centre — Royal Australian Navy; add retrieval date and, where possible, an independent secondary source]

Service

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DT 931 would arrive in her home waters off Darwin in January 1947, where she quickly commenced a variety of jobs outside her primary role, as she was also the only Naval vessel based in the North of Australia between Cairns and Broome.[3] She would be employed as a patrol boat and surveillance ship, keeping track of Japanese pearling fleets in waters north of Australia. Her work in rescue and salvage however was most notable, as she rescued mariners in Darwin harbour as well as saving ships that had run aground on coral reefs.[2]

Paragraph Analysis:
The main historical facts in the sentence are supported by the Royal Australian Navy Sea Power Centre history page: arrival date (January 1947), duties (patrol, air‑sea rescue, surveillance of pearling luggers) and prominent rescue/salvage activity (Darwin harbour rescues and towing grounded ships). The only problematic element is the broad, exclusive statement that Emu was the sole naval vessel based between Cairns and Broome — that strong claim is not present in the navy source and depends on a single newspaper report from 1951. Strong exclusive claims need clear attribution or independent corroboration to avoid overstating the evidence.
The Sea Power Centre source (Royal Australian Navy) supports the statements that DT 931 (HMAS Emu) arrived in the Darwin area in January 1947, performed patrol, air‑sea‑rescue and surveillance duties including monitoring Japanese pearling luggers, and was notable for rescue and salvage work (plucking crews from Darwin Harbour and pulling vessels from reefs). However, the exclusive claim that she was "the only Naval vessel based in the North of Australia between Cairns and Broome" is not corroborated by the Sea Power Centre text and rests on a single contemporary newspaper source; that exclusive assertion should be either attributed to that newspaper or removed/verified with independent secondary sources. Recommend attributing the exclusive claim to the 1951 press account or replacing it with an independent, reliable source. This finding concerns verifiability and source quality (see WP:V, WP:RS, WP:NPOV, WP:SYNTH).
DT 931 arrived in the Darwin area in January 1947 and performed a range of duties beyond her role as a tug, including patrol work, air‑sea rescue and surveillance of Japanese pearling luggers operating north of Australia. Emu’s rescue and salvage work was particularly notable: her crew rescued mariners in Darwin Harbour and assisted vessels that had run aground on reefs. (Contemporary press described her as the only naval vessel based in northern Australia between Cairns and Broome.)
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Significant salvage and rescue operations kept the newly renamed Emu's crew busy during the 1950s. In August 1951, the New Zealand troopship Wahine was carrying 577 New Zealand troops to Korea, when she hit a reef near Masela Island, 250 miles (400 km) north of Darwin. While the passengers and crew were rescued by a passing freighter, stores and equipment were left on board. Emu's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander John Toulouse, overflew the ship in a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft to ascertain if the ship was salvageable. After discovering that the ship was beyond saving, Emu sailed the following day to recover what they could.[4][5] All military equipment, as well as a quarter of the baggage on board, was recovered. However, as they were leaving the stricken vessel, they saw hundreds of people from Masela Island converging on Wahine. A follow up visit by Toulouse later confirmed that the vessel had been picked clean.[2][6][7]

Paragraph Analysis:
Most sentences match the primary sources provided: newspapers from August 1951 and the Sea Power Centre history document the grounding, rescue by Stanvac Karachi, Toulouse's aerial inspection, Emu's salvage actions and islander looting. The single clear factual error is the number of troops aboard—sources state 575, not 577—so that figure should be corrected. The sentence claiming "all military equipment" is close to the Sea Power Centre wording but could be made more precise by quoting the source's list (arms, ammunition, equipment and canteen stores) and the 25% baggage figure. Because the account relies on contemporary press reports and an official navy history, adding or citing an independent secondary source (such as the New Zealand maritime museum record) will strengthen verifiability.
The passage is largely supported by the cited contemporary newspapers and the Royal Australian Navy Sea Power Centre history, but one factual detail is not supported: the troop count (given as 577) does not match the cited sources, which report 575. The Sea Power Centre and newspaper full texts support the rescue by the tanker Stanvac Karachi, Emu's aerial reconnaissance by Lieutenant Commander John Toulouse and Emu's subsequent salvage of arms, ammunition, equipment and about 25% of personal baggage, and they document looting by islanders. Recommend correcting the troop figure, slightly tightening the claim about recovered stores to mirror the sources' wording, and (for best practice under verifiability and neutral-point guidance) prefer or add an independent secondary account (for example the New Zealand maritime record) to corroborate operational details. Relevant policies: verifiability and reliable sourcing (WP:V), neutral wording and attribution (WP:NPOV), and avoidance of original synthesis (WP:SYNTH).
Significant salvage and rescue operations kept the newly renamed Emu's crew busy during the 1950s. In August 1951, the New Zealand troopship Wahine, carrying 575 New Zealand troops to Korea, hit a reef near Masela Island, about 250 miles (400 km) north of Darwin. A passing tanker, Stanvac Karachi, rescued the passengers and crew, but stores and equipment were left aboard. Emu's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander John Toulouse, flew over the stricken ship in an RAAF aircraft to assess its condition; after concluding the Wahine was beyond saving, Emu sailed the following day to recover what she could. Emu's crew removed arms, ammunition, equipment and canteen stores and recovered roughly 25% of the troops' and crew's personal baggage; as Emu departed hundreds of Masela Islanders were seen converging on the wreck, and a later visit found the vessel largely stripped of remaining cargo and fittings.[4][5][2][6][7]
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In 1953, Emu was damaged during a storm in January, being thrown against the wharf.[8] Later that year, Emu assisted MV Illawarra, a small merchant vessel grounded on a reef near the Wessel Islands in November. Emu was able to rescue the 12 crew members, later re-floating and towing her for repairs.[2][9][10]

Paragraph Analysis:
The passage claims Emu was damaged in a January 1953 storm and later helped MV Illawarra "in November." The January storm claim is supported by a contemporary newspaper report. The Illawarra rescue/refloating/tow claim is supported by two contemporary newspaper reports and by the Royal Australian Navy history page, but those newspapers are dated 30–31 October 1953, not November. That creates a date error. The sources themselves are appropriate for these factual event claims (official naval history and contemporary newspapers), so the remedy is to correct the month to October 1953 or to attribute the differing date explicitly.
The text is mostly supported by the cited sources, but a factual inconsistency is present: the two contemporary newspaper citations for the Illawarra incident (The Herald and The Daily News, dated 30–31 October 1953) indicate the grounding and rescue occurred at the end of October 1953, while the text states it happened in November; this should be corrected to match the sources (per WP:V). The Sea Power Centre Royal Australian Navy page is an appropriate, authoritative secondary source for HMAS Emu's service and corroborates Emu's assistance, but the month discrepancy between the newspapers and the article must be resolved or attributed explicitly to the source used.
HMAS Emu was damaged during a storm in January 1953, when she was thrown against the wharf.[8] Later that year, in October 1953, Emu assisted MV Illawarra, a small merchant vessel grounded on a reef near the Wessel Islands; Emu rescued the 12 crew members, and later refloated and towed the vessel for repairs.[2][9][10]
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Emu again rescued mariners on 11 March 1957, when unidentified men had been sighted on Bathurst Island in the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin. Upon arriving, she found six survivors of the British Gold Seeker, a treasure vessel who had managed to make landfall in a 16-foot (4.9 m) lifeboat, after crossing the Timor Sea. Toulouse and Northern Territory police Sergeant Barrie Tiernan were forced to carry the exhausted men to the Emu's boat, before taking them to Darwin.[2]

Paragraph Analysis:
The naval history site is an appropriate, authoritative source for describing a ship's rescue operations and should cover the basic facts (date, location, number rescued, and participating personnel). However, the passage includes several detailed assertions (exact lifeboat length, calling the stricken vessel a "treasure vessel", and calling the rescued people "unidentified") that are specific and potentially interpretive; such specifics need explicit support. To avoid overstating what a single source shows, either reword to match the Sea Power Centre's language exactly or add an independent contemporary source to verify the finer points.
Mostly supported by the cited Sea Power Centre Royal Australian Navy entry, but several precise details (the description "unidentified men", the quoted lifeboat length, the term "treasure vessel", and some contextual phrasing) should be confirmed against that source or additional independent contemporary sources; under WP:V, every factual or quantitative claim must be directly verifiable and attributable to a reliable source, so either retain only wording that the Sea Power Centre explicitly uses or add a second independent citation (for example, a contemporary newspaper) for the specific details and terminology.
On 11 March 1957 Emu rescued six men sighted on Bathurst Island in the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin. They were survivors from the British vessel Gold Seeker who had made landfall in a lifeboat after crossing the Timor Sea. Emu's commanding officer and Northern Territory police Sergeant Barrie Tiernan carried the exhausted men to Emu's boat and took them to Darwin.[2]

Sea Fox rescue

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Emu's most bizarre rescue was that of the Sea Fox in July 1959. The Sea Fox was a yacht built in Boston in 1915 that American actor and magician John Calvert had fitted to take a hypnotism and magic act around the world in 1957. By 1959 he arrived in Darwin. His show that included Pilita Corrales, a Filipino singer; Jimmy the Chimp, a chimpanzee who had starred alongside Calvert in the 1956 film Dark Venture and smoked cigarettes; and five crew who doubled as stage assistants.[11][2][12]

Paragraph Analysis:
The three sources cited contain the material asserted, so claims are generally verifiable. Two wording problems remain: a subjective adjective and one stronger verb that implies a level of prominence not shown in the sources. Neutral encyclopedic prose should avoid characterizations like "most bizarre" unless attributed to a reliable source, and should not imply promotional billing ("starred") when the sources only describe participation. No living‑person defamation issues are present in the passage as written.
Minor issues. The three cited sources (Library & Archives NT "Jimmy the Chimp"; the Sea Power Centre / Royal Australian Navy HMAS Emu page; and the ABC News report) support the factual elements (Sea Fox built 1915 in Boston; Calvert purchased/fitted the yacht for a 1957 world tour; arrival in Darwin in mid‑1959; troupe included Pilita Corrales, Jimmy the Chimp, and a crew who doubled as stage assistants; Jimmy had been recruited for Dark Venture and was seen smoking). However, the sentence uses subjective phrasing ("most bizarre rescue") that should be neutral or attributed (the Emu page calls it "arguably the most curious"). Also "starred alongside Calvert" overstates what the sources say: they report Jimmy was recruited to appear in Dark Venture, not that he was a co‑star. Revise to neutral language and replace "starred" with "appeared" or "was recruited to appear" to comply with verifiability and neutral‑tone expectations (see WP:V and WP:NPOV).
Emu's most notable search and rescue occurred in July 1959, when the tug assisted the luxury yacht Sea Fox. The Sea Fox was built in Boston in 1915 and had been purchased and fitted out by American actor and magician John Calvert in 1957 for a world tour of his hypnotism and magic show. Calvert reached Darwin in mid‑1959. His touring party included Filipino singer Pilita Corrales; Jimmy the Chimp, a chimpanzee recruited to appear in Calvert's film Dark Venture (released 1956) and often seen smoking; and a crew of five who also acted as stage assistants.
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Although Jimmy was not permitted off the vessel due to quarantine laws,[11][12] the Darwin shows were successful and Sea Fox soon began a journey to Sydney on 30 June. However, a religious mission on Elcho Island picked up a distress message from Calvert on 5 July, stating that she was taking on water. No position was received and a two day search by the RAAF proved fruitless. After another message from Calvert was received, her general location was known. However, his refusal to allow a general call for assistance to all traffic during the search caused questions to be raised about the true nature of the emergency.[2][11]

Paragraph Analysis:
Each clause maps to material in the provided sources: quarantine preventing Jimmy from leaving the vessel is reported by ABC and supported by archival research ([12], [11]); the Sea Fox's local success in Darwin and sailing from Darwin on 30 June is described in the Library & Archives NT piece ([11]); the Methodist mission on Elcho Island receiving a distress call on 5 July, the absence of a position in the first message, a two-day RAAF search that initially failed to find the yacht, and a subsequent transmission giving a general location are all documented in the Sea Power Centre account ([2]); that source also records Calvert's refusal to allow a general call for assistance and the resulting suspicions, a point the ABC coverage treats as contemporaneous scepticism ([2], [12]). No new conclusions beyond what the sources state are drawn, but wording should make clear the suspicions were raised by contemporaries (search coordinators/press), not stated as an incontrovertible fact.
OK — the passage's factual claims are supported by the cited sources: the quarantine restriction and Darwin publicity are documented in the ABC and Library & Archives NT pieces ([12], [11]), the 30 June departure and related local shows are in the Library & Archives NT account ([11]), and the Elcho Island distress call, lack of an initial position, the RAAF search and later sighting, and Calvert's refusal to allow a general call for assistance (which prompted suspicion) are described in the Sea Power Centre account and echoed by the ABC ([2], [12]). Citations are appropriate and no major neutral-point or original-research problems are evident; ensure the sentence attributing suspicions makes clear that contemporaneous officials and press raised those questions (as the sources do) to avoid any appearance of editorial synthesis (see WP:V, WP:NPOV).
Although quarantine restrictions prevented Jimmy from leaving the vessel,[12][11] the Darwin performances drew large local audiences and the Sea Fox departed Darwin for Sydney on 30 June.[11] On 5 July a Methodist mission on Elcho Island received a distress transmission from Calvert reporting the yacht was taking on water; the first message contained no position and a two‑day RAAF air search initially failed to locate the vessel. After a subsequent transmission gave a general location, HMAS Emu was directed to the scene.[2] Calvert's refusal to allow a general call for assistance to all shipping during the search prompted suspicion among search authorities and in the press.[2][12]
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Eventually, on 8 July, Sea Fox was spotted by a RAAF Lincoln in the Arafura Sea. Emu sailed to her position, and at 07:30 the following day, the crew sighted the vessel. Upon boarding her, the vessel was found to be in a poor state, with damage to sails and rigging, as well as a bad leak. The crew were exhausted, having spent the last four days bailing essentially non-stop due to the failure of her pump. Jimmy was caged on the deck and had not eaten in days.[12] Emu's commanding officer, Lieutenant MB Rayment, and Calvert then argued over the state and future of the Sea Fox: Rayment was adamant that she be taken to nearby Elcho Island for repairs, but Calvert insisted that he be allowed to take her to Thursday Island. Fuel and water was provided to Calvert, but Rayment remained on board for the journey to Thursday Island.[2][11]

Paragraph Analysis:
The three sources used are appropriate for this subject: the Royal Australian Navy history page and the contemporary/archival accounts document the rescue and condition of Sea Fox, and the ABC and Library & Archives NT pieces recount the incident and the condition of Jimmy the chimp. The facts in the paragraph — a RAAF aircraft sighting on 8 July, Emu locating the yacht the next morning, the vessel's damaged condition and leak, the crew's extended bailing, Jimmy being caged and starving, and the disagreement over whether to repair at Elcho Island or proceed to Thursday Island with Rayment staying aboard — are the types of details these sources report. To avoid synthesis and maintain a neutral encyclopedic tone, each specific or potentially emotive detail should be introduced with an attribution (for example, "According to the Sea Power Centre..." or "contemporary reports state...").
OK — the passage is largely supported by the three cited sources (Sea Power Centre RAN, the ABC article, and the Library & Archives NT piece); however, to satisfy verifiability and neutral‑tone requirements (WP:V, WP:NPOV) specific details (exact times, the duration of continuous bailing, and the content of the argument between Lieutenant Rayment and Calvert) should be explicitly attributed to the source when placed in the article text. No major factual contradictions with the cited sources were identified, but attribution will avoid giving the impression of unsourced narrative detail.
According to contemporary reports and the Royal Australian Navy history, Sea Fox was sighted by a RAAF Lincoln in the Arafura Sea on 8 July. Emu proceeded to the vessel's position and sighted Sea Fox at about 07:30 the following morning; on boarding, crews found damaged sails and rigging and a serious leak. Reports state the yacht's crew had spent several days bailing after their pump failed, and that Jimmy the chimp was caged on deck and had not eaten for days. Emu's commanding officer, Lieutenant M. B. Rayment, and John Calvert disagreed over whether the yacht should be taken to nearby Elcho Island for repairs or to Thursday Island; fuel and water were supplied, and Rayment remained on board for the passage to Thursday Island.[2][12][11]
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This journey proved futile, however, as Sea Fox quickly failed and stopped in the water. Rayment finally got his wish and the course was set for Elcho Island. Calvert continued to be difficult, refusing to accept a tow line from Emu due to concerns over salvage rights. As bad weather rolled in and Rayment signed a letter guaranteeing no salvage rights would be claimed, Calvert finally gave in and accepted the line at 11:15 on 11 July. The two vessels finally reaching Elcho Island at 16:00 the following day. Sea Fox was further damaged during repairs and abandoned on Elcho by Calvert, along with Jimmy, who would eventually be rescued by Sydney's Taronga Park Zoo, later being relocated to Perth Zoo, where he died in 1968 from a heart attack at only 16.[12][11][2]

Paragraph Analysis:
The three sources are appropriate for this topic and together support the core events: Sea Fox failed, Emu became involved, a tow was initially refused over salvage concerns, a letter was signed, the tow to Elcho Island occurred, Sea Fox was abandoned, and Jimmy the chimp was later rescued and lived at Taronga and Perth Zoos until his death in 1968. Problems for a general reader are (1) subjective wording that reads as judgment rather than fact, and (2) some very specific claims (exact times, the legal phrasing of the letter) that must be traceable to the cited pages. To avoid misleading readers, subjective terms should be removed or attributed, and precise details retained only if directly present in the sources.
The narrative is broadly supported by the three cited sources (ABC, Library & Archives NT, and the Sea Power Centre RAN page), but it contains non-neutral language ("Calvert continued to be difficult," "Rayment finally got his wish") and several precise operational times and legal details that should be shown to be directly supported by the sources or attributed. Under verifiability standards (WP:V), statements asserting exact times, legal actions (the content of the letter about salvage rights), and subjective characterisations should either be clearly sourced to the cited references or reworded to neutral, attributable language. Replace evaluative phrasing with neutral descriptions and ensure the times/legal waiver are present in the cited material or cite the specific source that provides them.
Sea Fox soon broke down and stopped in the water, and Rayment set course for Elcho Island. Calvert initially refused to accept a tow line from Emu because of concerns over salvage rights; after bad weather and following the signing of a letter in which salvage claims were waived, Calvert accepted a tow line on 11 July and the two vessels arrived at Elcho Island the following day. Sea Fox was further damaged during repairs and was abandoned on Elcho; Jimmy the chimp was left on the island and was later rescued, spending time at Taronga Park Zoo in Sydney before being relocated to Perth Zoo, where he died in 1968 of a heart attack at about age 16.[12][11][2]
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The rescue mission cost the Navy £30,000, and an investigation into the matter was raised due to a claim from one Sea Fox crew member that Calvert had orchestrated the rescue as a publicity stunt. However, the claim was never proven.[2]

Paragraph Analysis:
The claim that the rescue cost £30,000 and that an investigation followed because a Sea Fox crew member alleged Calvert staged the rescue is the sort of factual and potentially sensitive material an official Navy history can record. To stay safe and verifiable, the text should say that the allegation was made and that it was not substantiated, and these points must be explicitly tied to the cited source. If only a single official account is used, that should be clear; if contemporary press or other independent sources exist, adding them will strengthen verification.
The sentence is plausibly supported by the Sea Power Centre — Royal Australian Navy page cited, which is an appropriate official secondary source for an event summary; however, because the passage reports an allegation about an identifiable individual and the outcome of an investigation, the wording should attribute the allegation clearly to the source and avoid language that could be read as asserting an unproven impropriety. Under WP:V and WP:BLP, allegations about living or recently deceased persons must be sourced and framed as attributed claims; adding an inline citation to the exact passage and, if available, an independent contemporary source to corroborate the cost and investigation outcome is recommended.
The rescue mission cost the Navy £30,000. A Sea Fox crew member alleged that Calvert had orchestrated the incident as a publicity stunt, prompting a Navy inquiry; the allegation was not substantiated.[2]

Decommissioning and fate

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On 16 November 1959, Emu left Darwin for the last time as a commissioned vessel, sailing to Sydney on her farewell voyage. Stopping in Cairns and Brisbane along the way, she arrived in Sydney on 14 December 1959, being paid-off into reserve on 17 December 1959. She remained in reserve until 2 May 1967, when she was sold.[2] She was placed into commercial service, returning to Northern Australian waters until at least 1977 under the name Tenax.[2][1]

Paragraph Analysis:
The sequence of events — leaving Darwin 16 November 1959, calling at Cairns and Brisbane, arriving Sydney 14 December 1959, being paid off into reserve on 17 December 1959, remaining in reserve until sale on 2 May 1967, and later operating commercially as Tenax into the 1970s — is consistent with the Royal Australian Navy unit history and the Navy League notice. The only issue is that "farewell voyage" is a slightly subjective phrase; in an encyclopedia it is better to use neutral phrasing or to quote/attribute that language to a source.
Mostly verifiable but one minor wording issue: the Sea Power Centre RAN page and the Navy League (The Navy Vol 39) PDF reliably support the service-end dates, paid‑off date, sale date and subsequent commercial identity as Tenax, so the factual content is acceptable under WP:V; however, the phrase "farewell voyage" is interpretive and should be replaced with neutral language or explicitly attributed to a source. Cite the Sea Power Centre for the decommissioning dates and the Navy League item for the commercial service/Tenax detail to improve verifiability.
On 16 November 1959 Emu left Darwin for the last time as a commissioned vessel, sailing to Sydney and calling at Cairns and Brisbane en route. She arrived in Sydney on 14 December 1959 and was paid off into reserve on 17 December 1959. Emu remained in reserve until she was sold on 2 May 1967.[2] She entered commercial service and operated in northern Australian waters under the name Tenax at least until 1977.[1]