At the start of 1945, Australia and the ships under her command were absorbed into Task Group 77.2, the escort and fire support force for the invasion of Lingayen Gulf.
Australia brought up the rear of the Task Group when it sailed from Leyte on the morning of 3 January, and was to be tasked with providing fire support for the landings at San Fabian.
Numerous kamikaze attacks were attempted on the invasion force as it sailed to Lingayen Gulf; Australia was struck portside amidships at 17:35 on 5 January.
25 were killed and 30 were wounded (officer casualties numbered 3 and 1 respectively), mostly from the gun crews of the port-side secondary and anti-aircraft guns, but the physical damage was not considered severe enough to withdraw her from the operation.
The ships reached the gulf early on 6 January, and by 11:00, Australia had commenced pre-landing bombardment.
A second kamikaze rammed the cruiser at 17:34 between the starboard 4-inch guns, killing 14 and wounding 26.
The casualties again consisted primarily of gun crews, and after this point, there were only enough trained personnel to man one 4-inch gun on each side of the cruiser.
Another aircraft attempted to ram Australia at 18:28, but this was shot down by USS Columbia, itself damaged by kamikaze strikes during the day, before it could strike.
Australia, assigned to a counter-battery role, saw little activity during 7 January.
The next day, she was attacked twice by kamikazes in quick succession: at 07:20, a twin-engine bomber hit the water 20 yards (18 m) from the cruiser and skidded to connect with the ship's port flank, then a second aircraft attacked at 07:39, again shot down just before it hit the port side at the waterline.
A bomb carried by the second attacker opened a 14-by-8-foot (4.3 by 2.4 m) hole in the hull, causing a 5-degree list, but despite the explosion and a large quantity of debris and shrapnel, casualties were limited to a few cases of shock, and Australia was able to carry out the day's assigned bombardments.
The landing force arrived on 9 January, and at 08:30, the cruiser began shelling targets in preparation for the amphibious assault.
At 13:11, the fifth suicide aircraft to hit Australia during the operation struck; although it intended to take out the cruiser's bridge, the aircraft hit a mast strut and the forward exhaust funnel, and fell overboard.
Although there were no casualties, the crash damaged the funnel, radar, and wireless systems, and the decision was made to withdraw the cruiser for repairs.

Australia joined several Allied ships damaged by kamikaze strikes in escorting the transport ships back to Leyte on the evening of 9 January.
Temporary repairs were made to the cruiser, and after Farncomb transferred his flag to HMAS Arunta so he could return to the main force, Australia sailed to Sydney via Manus for permanent repairs and a refit, arriving home on 28 January.
Two days later, she docked at Cockatoo Island for repair and the preliminary stages of the refit, including the removal of 'X' turret and the aircraft catapult, and the shortening of the funnels by 5 feet (1.5 m) each.
However, Australian shipyards had been instructed to prioritise repairs to British Pacific Fleet vessels, so Australia left the dock on 17 May and sailed on 24 May for England via the Panama Canal.
The cruiser arrived at Plymouth on 2 July, and was docked for a major refit which ran from August to December.

The ship received eight battle honours for her wartime service: "Atlantic 1940–41", "Pacific 1941–43", "Coral Sea 1942", "Savo Island 1942", "Guadalcanal 1942", "New Guinea 1942–44", "Leyte Gulf 1944", and "Lingayen Gulf 1945".
According to naval historian John Bastock, Australia "probably fought more actions and steamed more miles than any other ship of the RAN" during the war.
At the start of 1945, Australia and the ships under her command were absorbed into Task Group 77.2, the escort and fire support force for the invasion of Lingayen Gulf. Australia brought up the rear of the Task Group when it sailed from Leyte on the morning of 3 January, and was to be tasked with providing fire support for the landings at San Fabian. Numerous kamikaze attacks were attempted on the invasion force as it sailed to Lingayen Gulf; Australia was struck portside amidships at 17:35 on 5 January. 25 were killed and 30 were wounded (officer casualties numbered 3 and 1 respectively), mostly from the gun crews of the port-side secondary and anti-aircraft guns, but the physical damage was not considered severe enough to withdraw her from the operation. The ships reached the gulf early on 6 January, and by 11:00, Australia had commenced pre-landing bombardment. A second kamikaze rammed the cruiser at 17:34 between the starboard 4-inch guns, killing 14 and wounding 26. The casualties again consisted primarily of gun crews, and after this point, there were only enough trained personnel to man one 4-inch gun on each side of the cruiser. Another aircraft attempted to ram Australia at 18:28, but this was shot down by USS Columbia, itself damaged by kamikaze strikes during the day, before it could strike. Australia, assigned to a counter-battery role, saw little activity during 7 January. The next day, she was attacked twice by kamikazes in quick succession: at 07:20, a twin-engine bomber hit the water 20 yards (18 m) from the cruiser and skidded to connect with the ship's port flank, then a second aircraft attacked at 07:39, again shot down just before it hit the port side at the waterline. A bomb carried by the second attacker opened a 14-by-8-foot (4.3 by 2.4 m) hole in the hull, causing a 5-degree list, but despite the explosion and a large quantity of debris and shrapnel, casualties were limited to a few cases of shock, and Australia was able to carry out the day's assigned bombardments. The landing force arrived on 9 January, and at 08:30, the cruiser began shelling targets in preparation for the amphibious assault. At 13:11, the fifth suicide aircraft to hit Australia during the operation struck; although it intended to take out the cruiser's bridge, the aircraft hit a mast strut and the forward exhaust funnel, and fell overboard. Although there were no casualties, the crash damaged the funnel, radar, and wireless systems, and the decision was made to withdraw the cruiser for repairs.
Australia joined several Allied ships damaged by kamikaze strikes in escorting the transport ships back to Leyte on the evening of 9 January. Temporary repairs were made to the cruiser, and after Farncomb transferred his flag to HMAS Arunta so he could return to the main force, Australia sailed to Sydney via Manus for permanent repairs and a refit, arriving home on 28 January. Two days later, she docked at Cockatoo Island for repair and the preliminary stages of the refit, including the removal of 'X' turret and the aircraft catapult, and the shortening of the funnels by 5 feet (1.5 m) each. However, Australian shipyards had been instructed to prioritise repairs to British Pacific Fleet vessels, so Australia left the dock on 17 May and sailed on 24 May for England via the Panama Canal. The cruiser arrived at Plymouth on 2 July, and was docked for a major refit which ran from August to December.
The ship received eight battle honours for her wartime service: "Atlantic 1940–41", "Pacific 1941–43", "Coral Sea 1942", "Savo Island 1942", "Guadalcanal 1942", "New Guinea 1942–44", "Leyte Gulf 1944", and "Lingayen Gulf 1945". According to naval historian John Bastock, Australia "probably fought more actions and steamed more miles than any other ship of the RAN" during the war.
HMAS Australia (D84)