Sea King Memorial GardenPrint Page

The small garden and plaque is dedicated to the nine Australian Defence Force personnel who were killed in the Sea King Helicopter Crash of 2005. 

Each year at 11am on the 11th November a service is conducted in front of the memorial by residents and Kings Cross biker Randall Nelson, also known as Animal. For years Animal organised a remembrance service at the El Alamein Fountain which is also a memorial but switched after the Sea King tragedy. He also led the planting of the memorial rosemary garden in front of the plaque. The plaque is under some threat after Council planned redevelopment for the area. 

The 2005 Nias Island WS-61 Sea King crash, was the crash of a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Westland WS-61 Sea King helicopter (registration N16-100, call sign Shark 02) of 817 Squadron RAN at approximately 4 pm (local time) on 2 April 2005 with 11 personnel onboard. The accident occurred while Shark 02 was making its approach to land on a soccer field located near the village of Tuindrao in the region of Amandraya on the Indonesian island of Nias. Shark 02 had been providing humanitarian support to the people of the earthquake-devastated region.

Nine personnel died in the accident, including six members of the RAN and three members of the Royal Australian Air Force.

The primary cause of the SHARK 02 Navy Sea King helicopter accident was a failure of mechanical linkages within the flight control system. This occurred following the incorrect re-fitting of a nut and split pin during maintenance performed on the aircraft some two months before the crash.

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Dedication