January 1953
I learnt about the delivery of this carrier to the Australian Navy from the following e-mail.
”The aircraft-carrier HMS Vengeance was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy for three years, due to the belated completion of the aircraft-carrier, HMAS Melbourne. It was commissioned as HMAS Vengeance on 13th November 1952 and, after embarking three Bristol Sycamore helicopters for the RAN at Devonport, sailed from there on 7th January 1953 on its delivery voyage to Australia. It proceeded via Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Suez Canal, Colombo, Fremantle, Melbourne and eventually arrived in Sydney on 11th March 1953.
Other websites mention Firefly and Sea Fury aircraft being delivered to Vengeance in protective wrap and it arriving in Fremantle 26th February 1953 with 'a deck-cargo of Sea Fury, Firefly and stores'.
At the end of its Australian service, it again visited Malta. On its return voyage to the UK, HMAS Vengeance departed Sydney on 16th June 1955, sailing via Singapore, Colombo, Aden, Suez, Port Said, and Malta, arriving in Portsmouth 5th August 1955 and on to Devonport 13th August 1955, where it reverted to the Royal Navy.
There is another mention of HMS Vengeance visiting Malta. In March 1952 the vessel had undergone 'a refit to prepare her for aircraft transport work and sailed to Malta with aircraft embarked' (date not quoted).”