"Anzac" was laid down by the Williamstown Naval Dockyard at Melbourne, Victoria on 23 September 1946. The ship was originally to be named "Matapan", for the Battle of Cape Matapan, but this was changed to "Anzac", for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps prior to launch. She was launched on 20 August 1948 by the wife of John Augustine Collins, the Chief of the Naval Staff and a former commanding officer of the previous HMAS "Anzac". "Anzac" was commissioned as a ship of the RAN on 14 March 1951. Acceptance from dockyard hands occurred on 22 March.