A video recording device was discovered aboard HMAS Leeuwin, a Royal Australian Navy ship docked in Cairns, the Defence Department confirmed on Wednesday.
The department revealed the device was found three days before its public announcement, according to a statement made after The Guardian Australia contacted it for comment. Police are investigating the discovery, though the department did not specify the device's exact location.
Senator Jacqui Lambie had told parliament on Wednesday that a camera had been found concealed in a women's shower aboard the vessel. The department's statement came hours after Lambie's allegation in the chamber but did not confirm whether the device Lambie described matched the one officials announced.
The HMAS Leeuwin is based in Cairns. No information has been released about how long the device may have been present, who placed it, or what footage, if any, was captured.