Following the 1964 "Melbourne"-"Voyager" collision, "Duchess" was loaned to the RAN as a temporary replacement for . The ship was deployed to the Far East Strategic Reserve throughout the 1960s, and operated as an escort for the Vietnam War troopship on several occasions. The original four-year loan was extended to 1972, at which point the ship was purchased outright by the Australian government. "Duchess" was converted into a training ship during 1973 and 1974, and spent the rest of her career operating on midshipman training cruises in Australian, New Zealand, and South Pacific waters. "Duchess" was replaced in the training role in 1977, and was decommissioned. The destroyer was sold for scrap in 1980.