- Author
- Haken, J.K., Dr
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories, History - pre-Federation, Biographies
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- September 2025 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
By Dr J.K. Haken
Picture One
Above: HMS Wolverene sailing from Port Jackson as Flagship of the Australia Station. John Bastock.
A native of England, Walton Drake was born on 16 May 1850 at Exeter, the third child and second eldest son of Augustus and Lydia Jackson, Nee Drake. The naval career of Walton began in 1864, when he became a Cadet in the Royal Navy in HMS Britannia. In 1866 he served in HMS Endymion as a Midshipman, with promotion to Sub-Lieutenant in 1870. He was promoted Lieutenant in October 1874 after service in HMS Lily and the hospital ship Victor Emanuel in Hong Kong.
HMS Wolverene
He was first Lieutenant of Wolverene, an old and un-battleworthy ship which was Flagship of the Admiral of the Sydney-based Australia Station. The vessel was paid off and gifted to New South Wales on 16 January 1882 for use as a training ship. After the crew returned to England, Drake remained as a Colonial Government employee until his resignation on 17 July 1884, as Second Lieutenant of HMCS Wolverene and Instructor of the Naval Artillery Volunteers. Lieutenant Drake married Isobel Maude, nee Pixley on 1 January 1889 in Sydney (died 22 September 1921). There were no children.
To Queensland
On 3 March 1885, Drake was appointed Lieutenant and Lieutenant Instructor, both appointments effective 1 January 1885, in the new Queensland Naval Brigade to consist of Nos 1 and 2 Brisbane Companies and the Townsville Company. Appointed temporary First Lieutenant of the gunboat HMQS Gayundah on 3 November 1887. At this time, the fleet consisted of gunboat Gayundah and her sistership HMQS Paluma and the torpedo boats Mosquito and Midge. He was promoted to Commander, noted as equivalent to Major in the Queensland Military Forces, effective 16 January 1889. Drake had been variously commanding in 1891 and now restyled Officer Commanding Naval Corps, dated 14 June 1892, and to act as Naval Commandant, dated 1 October 1892. To be Acting Commander of Gayundah, dated 10 November 1898.
Captain W.R. Creswell CMG was appointed Naval Commandant and Commander of the gunboat Gayundah to date from 1 May 1900. Commander Drake retired, due to the recently introduced age restrictions, with the rank of Captain to date from 1 September 1902.
Other roles
The United Service Club President was the Service Chief and thus rotated, with Drake as President in 1893 1895, 1897 and 1899. Captain Drake left Queensland on 4 July 1902 for Hobart, where he resided. The stay was brief, as he was appointed Administrator of Norfolk Island, a post held from July 1903 to February 1907.
In 1788, Captain Philip lost the anchor of his flagship, HMS Sirius, at Norfolk Island. This was recovered by Captain Drake and his brother-in-law, Arthur Pixley, and transported to Sydney, where it was displayed in Macquarie Place.
Captain Drake, Retired List, was then appointed District Naval Officer at Hobart from 17 July 1911, again to Retired List on 29 January 1914. Reappointed on 6 August 1914, he continued until September 1919. On 2 June 1913 Drake was appointed a Commissioner for Declarations under the Statutory Declarations Act 1911 until 20 January 1920.
Drake was then appointed to the Tasmanian Coal Board upon its formation on 22 August 1917, under the War Precautions Regulations 1917, and replaced on retirement, effective 1 October 1919.
Captain Drake left Tasmania in June 1923 and spent several weeks in Sydney before travelling to England to reside, but returned to Sydney on 23 July 1924 and Hobart on 20 October 1924.
In memory
Captain Drake died at Wahroonga, aged 90, on 8 September 1940. Many pioneer and distinguished service personnel have been remembered by memorial tablets, streets, suburbs or in one case, submarines. With Captain Drake, it was a golf trophy, the Captain Walton Drake Cup.
The event, formed in 2015, is a match between teams from the Royal Hobart Golf Club and a Navy team. The matches were won by the hosts until 2024, when the Navy team was successful.
