"Barcoo" was placed in reserve in May 1949. She was recommissioned in March 1951 for use as a training vessel for anti-submarine exercises. The ship resumed survey duties of the Australian coast from July 1952 to April 1956, then returned to Sydney and was paid off on 25 September. The ship was reactivated for further survey work on 7 December 1959. By this point, the ship's armament had been reduced to a single 40 mm Bofors gun. Other modifications around the time of her reactivation included the strengthening of the forward tripod mast, and the addition of a deckhouse on the aft deck.