On This Day

CAPT Henry Coey Kane, RN, (HMS CALLIOPE), gave evidence before a NSW Parliamentary Committee on the relative merits of various ports in Australasia as the location for a base for ...

Plans for a protected cruiser for the Victorian Navy were prepared by Sir William Armstrong & Co., England, and placed before the Victorian Government. The 1040 ton ship was designed ...

The South Australian Government came under bitter criticism for not despatching their gunboat PROTECTOR to sea, to search for survivors of the sailing ship STAR OD GREECE. PROTECTOR stood by ...

Calliope Dock opened at Auckland, New Zealand. The dock was used for ships of the Australia Station when facilities in Sydney were not available. ...

The anthem ‘Advance Australia Fair’ was first performed. Bands of the RAN played the anthem in 1919. ...

VADM Sir John Crace, KBE, CB, RN, was born at Gungahlin, NSW, (now part of modern-day Canberra). Although Australian by birth he entered the Royal Navy in 1902. He rose ...

RADM Henry Fairfax, CB, appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS NELSON. ...

The Admiralty agreed to provide eight cadetships a year for Australians, and two for New Zealanders, at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Approval was also given for the formation of ...

RADM Henry Fairfax, CB, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Australia Station. His flagships were HM Ships NELSON and ORLANDO. ...

The Admiralty approved the hoisting of the White Ensign in the Queensland gunboat PALUMA, while the vessel was engaged in survey duties. ...

The Admiralty asked the Australian colonies to raise, maintain, and command, local defence forces. ...

Rates of pay in force for the Queensland Navy:-Commander: £1200; Senior Lieutenant: £720; Lieutenant Instructor: £300; Chief Engineer: £600; Assistant Engineer: £360; Gunner and Instructor: £360; Master at Arms: £240; ...

The strength of the NSW Naval Brigade reached 640, in all ranks. ...

HMS DIAMOND, (corvette), was stationed at Port Adelaide to guard against an attack by Russian commerce raiders. ...

HMQS GAYUNDA, (gunboat), arrived at Brisbane on her maiden voyage. ...

ADML Sir George Tryon, CB, presented his proposals on the defence of Australia to the Governments of the Australian Colonies. The report recommended one fleet for all the colonies and ...

CMDR J. C. P. Walcot, RN, was commissioned as commandant of the South Australian Naval Brigade. ...

The NSW Contingent to the war in the Sudan sailed from Sydney in the troopships IBERIA and AUSTRALASIAN. Among those who served in the contingent were a number of ex-RN ...

Admiralty House, Sydney, was purchased for £40,000 from the Hon Thomas Cadell as an official residence for the Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Station. ...

The Queensland Naval Brigade was formed under LEUT Walton Drake, RN. ...

RADM Sir George Tryon, the first Flag Officer to command the RN Squadron on the Australia Station, hoisted his flag in HMS NELSON at Sydney. ...

The Imperial Squadron in Australia consisted of HM Ships NELSON, (armoured iron cruiser); DIAMOND, (wooden screw corvette); ESPIEGLE and MIRANDA, (composite sloops); DART, (survey vessel); RAVEN, (steam composite gunboat); SWINGER, ...

A signal from CDRE Erskine, RN, Commanding Australia Station, to the Admiralty, reported the formation of German colonies in New Guinea and adjacent islands. ...