Goodwill from the "State of the Big Bird" (www.cassowaryconservation.asn.au) Hello Carmel, Some of the general info you seek may be accessed through your nearest library. Best is probably the 'Australian Centenary History of Defence Series. Consists of seven volumes but main ones for you would be I The Australian Army II The Royal Australian Air Force III The Royal Australian Navy. The latter will tell you that HMAS Lonsdale was an RAN shore depot establishment at Port Lonsdale, Victoria (1940-1992). The navy names its shore establishments in the same way that it names its ships. Using <google> on the internet will also give you plenty of informative sites using the above headings. Be aware that the AWM Nominal Roll WW II only gives you the person's posting and rank at the time that they were discharged. They could have been many places before that. May all this inspire a "ring o' bells" Dean Newman, North Queensland Australia "As time goes by" [email protected] "Knowledge can be communicated but not wisdom"