A former Rotorua man has taken command of the Navy's largest ship.
At a ceremony at the Devonport Naval Base yesterday Commander David Turner relinquished command of the HMNZS Canterbury to Commander Simon Rooke.
Commander Rooke was born in Kawerau and went to Kawerau College and Rotorua Boys' High beforejoining the Navy in 1991 as a Midshipman.
Image 1 of 7: Caption: 1509SPLNAVY2 - ENboarding: Dressed in civilian clothes, Lieutenant Simon Rooke ( Rotorua ) plays the role of an uncooperative merchant ship master, while an Australian naval officer exercis
He's worked his way up through the ranks - gaining his first command, of the HMNZS Hinau, during the 2000 America's Cup Regatta in Auckland.
Simon Rooke was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 1997 New Years Honours List following his performance as HMNZS Canterbury's Boarding Officer in the Arabian Gulf in 1996.
He was also the Commanding Officer of the Otago when it was based in Lyttelton to provide disaster relief following the 2011 Christchurch quake.
