Australian Naval History on 15 November 1933

When the British Government offered HM Ships STUART, VENDETTA, VOYAGER, VAMPIRE, and WATERHEN, (destroyers), to Australia as a gift, the Australian Government was not unanimous in its decision to accept them. Mr. Eddie Ward, Member for East Sydney, said in the debate: ‘As an Australian native with a family in this country, I would be prepared to urge that Australia should not bother about arming to defend herself, because no other country will interfere with her. By doing so she would set an example, as the Scandinavian countries have successfully done.’ Mr. Ward was a member of the Australian War Cabinet from December 1941 until August, 1945.