There'll be a little bit of military pomp and ceremony at the Devonport Naval Base this afternoon to mark a change in command for the Navy's largest ship.

Commander David Turner will relinquish command of the HMNZS Canterbury to Commander Simon Rooke.

Commander Rooke - was born in Kawerau and went to Kawerau College and Rotorua Boys High before joining the Navy in 1991 as a Midshipman.

He's worked his way up through the ranks - gaining his first command, of the HMNZS Hinau, during the 2000 America's Cup Regatta in Auckland.

Simon Rooke was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 1997 New Years Honours List following performance as HMNZS CANTERBURY’s Boarding Officer in the Arabian Gulf in 1996.

He was also the Commanding Officer of the Otago when it was based in Lyttelton to provide disaster relief following the 2011 Christchurch quake.