[1] In 1938, the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB) identified the need for a general purpose 'local defence vessel' capable of both anti-submarine and mine-warfare duties, while easy to construct and operate.

[6] The need for locally built 'all-rounder' vessels at the start of World War II saw the "Australian Minesweepers" (designated as such to hide their anti-submarine capability, but popularly referred to as "corvettes") approved in September 1939, with 60 constructed during the course of the war: 36 ordered by the RAN, 20 (including Geraldton) ordered by the British Admiralty but manned and commissioned as RAN vessels, and 4 for the Royal Indian Navy.

[1] She was launched on 16 August 1941 by the wife of William McKell, then Premier of New South Wales, and was commissioned into the RAN on 6 April 1942.

[1] After entering active service, Geraldton spent a brief period acting as an anti-submarine patrol ship off the east coast of Australia, before being assigned to the British Eastern Fleet in July 1942.

[1] Before joining the Pacific Fleet, Geraldton underwent an armament reconfiguration in Melbourne during February, then a general two-month refit in Fremantle from March until May.