Lieutenant-Commander Bruce Walker was rowed ashore one last time last night, as his 30-year association with HMNZS Toroa, the Dunedin naval reserve division, wound down.
In a change-of-command ceremony at Toroa last night, Lt-cmdr Walker (63) handed command of the ship to Lieutenant-commander Robert Tomlinson, after five years at the helm.
Before the ceremony, Lt-cmdr Walker said it was time for a change, and to let some "new blood" in, but he was not quite ready to completely end a decades-long relationship with the shore establishment, and would continue to serve with Toroa doing project work until his retirement from the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve in June next year.
Lt-cmdr Tomlinson, who has been a reservist in the navy for 20 years, told those gathered his goal as commander of Toroa was to increase personnel in the division, and make it the best small division in the naval reserve.
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Chief of Navy Commodore Wayne Burroughs, Captain of the Naval Reserve Captain Clive Holmes, other senior military officers, ship's company of HMNZS Toroa, the Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull, and their families.
