On This Day

HMQS GAYUNDAH, (gunboat), sailed from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, for Brisbane, QLD. The ship was under the command of CAPT Henry Townley Wright, RN, for the voyage. ...

RADM George Tryon, CB, RN, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Australia Station. His flagship was HMS NELSON. ...

HMC gunboat PROTECTOR, (CAPT J. C. P. Walcot, RN), arrived in Port Adelaide, SA. ...

The Queensland Navy gunboats GAYUNDAH and PALUMA completed shipbuilder trials on the Tyne River England. Both vessels attained a speed of 10 knots. ...

The Admiralty requested the services of either HMQ Ships GAYUNDAH or PALUMA for survey duties in northern waters. PALUMA was selected and converted for the purpose. ...

HMQS MOSQUITO, (2nd class torpedo boat), was launched in the UK. ...

The steel twin-screw gunboat PROTECTOR was commissioned. PROTECTOR was laid down in Armstrong, Mitchell & Co., Elswick, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, for service with the South Australian Government. Heavily armed ...

Tasmania’s only warship, a 2nd class torpedo boat known as TB191, arrived in Hobart. ...

HMVS CHILDERS, (torpedo boat), ran out of coal off the coast of Portugal and was forced to lay-to until found by the steamer Pathan which supplied her with enough coal ...

The steam gunboat, HMVS VICTORIA, (CAPT A. B. Thomas, RN), sailed from Portsmouth for Australia. ...

The German corvette SMS CAROLA, sailed from Sydney with orders to lay claim to eastern New Guinea and islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, on behalf of the German Government. The ...

The RN established the Directorate of Intelligence under ADML Sir George Tryon. Both Tryon and ADML Sir Lewis Beaumont, who later directed DNI, served on the Australia Station, and contributed ...

The Report of a Royal Commission into Colonial Defence ordered by the British Prime Minister, Disraeli, was published in part. Sections dealing with the un-preparedness of Australian colonies to defend ...

The Melbourne Age claimed the visit of ADML Aslanbegoff’s squadron to Australia was directly associated with the threatened war between Britain and Russia and their presence was for the purpose ...

CDRE James E. Erskine, RN, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS NELSON. ...

HMCS WOLVERINE sailed on her first training cruise with the NSW Naval Brigade. ...

HMS WOLVERINE, (screw corvette), was presented to the NSW Government as a “royal gift”. The ship was used for training the NSW Naval Brigade. ...

HMS NELSON, (armoured-belt cruiser), was flagship of the Imperial Squadron on the Australia Station. Two warships of the same name were in Australian waters at this period. The second HMS ...

RADM Sir Leighton Seymour Bracegirdle, KCVO, CMG, DSO, RAN, was born in Balmain, Sydney. ...

CDRE J. C. Wilson, ADC, was appointed Commodore Commanding the Australia Station. His flagship was HMS WOLVERINE. ...

The NSW Torpedo Corps was formed under Major Cracknell. In March 1879 the name was changed to the NSW Torpedo and Signalling Corps. It’s initial strength was 6 officers and ...