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The defence department says military and civilian police are involved in an investigation into the discovery of the device. Photograph: Able Seaman Brenton Freind/Department of Defence     (video-recording-device-found-in-cabin-of-hmas-leeuwin-navy-ship-in-cairns.html#img-1)   View image in fullscreen       HMAS Leeuwin at sea. The defence department says military and civilian police are involved in an investigation into the discovery of the device. Photograph: Able Seaman Brenton Freind/Department of Defence       (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/royal-australian-navy) Royal Australian Navy     Video recording device found in cabin of HMAS Leeuwin navy ship in Cairns    Defence announcement comes after Jacqui Lambie tells parliament a camera had been found concealed in a women’s shower on board Get our (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl) breaking news email , (https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3) free app or (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl) daily news podcast            (https://www.theguardian.com/profile/josh-butler) Josh Butler   Wed 14 Oct 2026 03.19 EDT  Last modified on Wed 14 Oct 2026 03.42 EDT   (mailto:?subject=Video recording device found in cabin of HMAS Leeuwin navy ship in Cairns &body=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/14/video-recording-device-found-in-cabin-of-hmas-leeuwin-navy-ship-in-cairns?CMP=share_btn_url) Share          (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=theguardian.com) Prefer the Guardian on Google          A “video recording device” was found in the cabin of a (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/royal-australian-navy) Royal Australian Navy ship in Cairns, the defence department has revealed, just hours after senator Jacqui Lambie alleged in parliament that a camera had been found concealed in a women’s shower on the vessel. The department confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that a device had been found aboard the HMAS Leeuwin three days earlier. In a statement after Guardian Australia had contacted the department for response to Lambie’s allegations, a spokesperson said police were investigating, but did not reveal further details about where the device was located.  “On 11 October 2026, Defence became aware that a video recording device had been located in the cabin of (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/royal-australian-navy) Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Leeuwin, while alongside in Cairns, Queensland,” they said. “The incident was referred to the Joint Military Police Unit and Defence is working with civilian authorities. Defence takes this incident extremely seriously and does not tolerate unacceptable behaviour in any form.” (https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed&CMP=emailbutton) Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email   On Wednesday morning, Lambie – an ADF veteran and advocate for defence personnel – told the Senate that she’d been contacted by a former member of the navy with allegations about a camera being found aboard HMAS Leeuwin. “The sender told me that concealed cameras have recently been found in the female sailors’ showers facilities on the vessel HMAS Leeuwin, based in (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/cairns) Cairns ,” she said in the Senate. “I was also told this had occurred recently and prevented the vessel from sailing while investigations were ongoing. Even more disturbing are claims that footage from these cameras may have been uploaded online before the cameras were discovered.       (Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie speaking to journalists at Parliament House.)   (video-recording-device-found-in-cabin-of-hmas-leeuwin-navy-ship-in-cairns.html#img-2)   View image in fullscreen       Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie speaking to journalists at Parliament House. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP  “How many of our female sailors have unknowingly been recorded in their most private moments? How much footage has been distributed online so far, retained or uploaded without knowledge or consent? These are the questions today I ask Navy.” Guardian Australia asked the department if any perpetrator had been identified, if the defence force was aware of hidden cameras being found in other navy facilities, and if any such footage from hidden cameras had been found to have been shared online. The department did not directly answer those questions. In its statement, it said HMAS Leeuwin had “remained alongside to enable the investigation and ensure immediate support was provided to members of the ship’s crew”. (video-recording-device-found-in-cabin-of-hmas-leeuwin-navy-ship-in-cairns.html#EmailSignup-skip-link-12) skip past newsletter promotion     Free newsletter | When needed    Sign up to Breaking News Australia  Get the most important news as it breaks  ()   Enter your email  ()   Sign up      after newsletter promotion   (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/aug/23/spying-device-detectors-may-give-domestic-abuse-victims-false-sense-of-security-study-finds)  Spying device detectors may give domestic abuse victims false sense of security, study finds     Read more        “The welfare of individuals remains Defence’s priority, and support is ongoing. As the matter is currently under investigation and to protect the privacy of the affected individuals, Defence is unable to provide further comment at this time,” it said. Asked at a subsequent press conference about the incident, Lambie said she was unhappy with the department’s response. “Defence needs to know this. Your people had a gutful, and if there was abuse going on, they’re now coming to me. OK, I’m right on their tail. Enough is enough. Get control of what is going on in the defence force,” she said. “What I want to know is, have they gone around on the rest of those boats, the subs, whatever, and had a look and make sure there’s no other cameras? Because we are not sure whether it’s coming from contractors that go on them, or whether it’s come from defence members.”         Explore more on these topics (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/royal-australian-navy) Royal Australian Navy  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/australian-military) Australian military  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/cairns) Cairns  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/jacqui-lambie) Jacqui Lambie  (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/queensland) Queensland  (https://www.theguardian.com/tone/news) news    (mailto:?subject=Video recording device found in cabin of HMAS Leeuwin navy ship in Cairns &body=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/14/video-recording-device-found-in-cabin-of-hmas-leeuwin-navy-ship-in-cairns?CMP=share_btn_url) Share     (https://syndication.theguardian.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Faustralia-news%2F2026%2Foct%2F14%2Fvideo-recording-device-found-in-cabin-of-hmas-leeuwin-navy-ship-in-cairns&type=article&internalpagecode=australia-news/2026/oct/14/video-recording-device-found-in-cabin-of-hmas-leeuwin-navy-ship-in-cairns) (Reuse this content) Reuse this content                  More on this story                        More on this story                       (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/14/labors-bill-to-cut-private-health-insurance-rebate-blocked-by-greens-over-pensioner-carve-out)    ()      Labor’s bill to cut private health insurance rebate blocked by Greens over pensioner carve-out   (Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 03:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 5h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/11/ben-roberts-smith-attends-canberra-event-honouring-australian-troops-who-served-in-afghanistan-ntwnfb)    ()      Ben Roberts-Smith attends Canberra event honouring Australian troops who served in Afghanistan   (Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 01:27 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 3d ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2026/oct/14/anthony-albanese-jim-chalmers-labor-strain-credit-card-tax-economy)    ()      double quotation mark   What started as a small political spot fire turns into a major irritant for the PM and his treasurer   (Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 02:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 7h ago           (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/06/australian-defence-force-soldier-killed-five-injuried-mount-bundey-training-northern-territory)    ()      Australian army soldier killed and five others injured in training exercise in the Northern Territory   (Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 02:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time) 6 Oct 2026           (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/oct/04/hegseth-apex-predator-nuclear-submarines-right-for-australia-aukus-ntwnfb)    ()      Hegseth calls US-built nuclear submarines the ‘apex predator’ of the seas. 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