On This Day

1850-1899 > Colonial Navies & RN

March 3, 1889

HMS CALLIOPE, (screw corvette), was despatched from Sydney to Samoa to forestall German and American plans to annex the island.

November 15, 1888

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 ships of the Australia Station.

October 26, 1888

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 to carry three 6-inch breech loaders, four 6lb guns, six 3lb guns, and six Gatling guns, in addition to two 18-inch torpedo tubes. The ship was never built.

July 13, 1888

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 in Port Adelaide with steam up, but the order to sail was not received.

February 16, 1888

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

October 5, 1887

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

February 6, 1887

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 steadily through the ranks of the Royal Navy and was appointed Commander of the Australian Squadron in November 1939 with the rank of Rear Admiral. He commanded the Squadron during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. Crace returned to England in June 1942, was knighted in 1947, and lived there until his death in 1968.

February 1, 1887

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

January 30, 1887

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 Naval Reserves in both colonies. The decision followed demands for increased colonial involvement in naval defence.

January 1, 1887

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

September 2, 1886

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

September 9, 1885

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

July 4, 1885

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; Ship Steward: £240; Wardroom Steward: £192; Captain’s Servant: £120; Chief Boatswain’s Mate: £192; Stokers: £168 to £192; Cook: £180; 2nd Class Petty Officer £168; Armourer: £164; Seaman: £144; Wardroom Officer’s Servant: £96; Boy: £24; The rates quoted are annual, but few members of the service were engaged on a permanent basis.

June 2, 1885

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

April 13, 1885

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

March 28, 1885

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

March 27, 1885

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 New Zealand.

March 25, 1885

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

March 3, 1885

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 personnel and some NSW Naval Brigade personnel, (allowed leave to join the contingent). Also in the Contingent was Private Brownlow, who later served in the NSW Naval Brigade, ANF and the RAN and rose to the rank of Captain.

February 16, 1885

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.

January 23, 1885

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

January 22, 1885

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.

January 2, 1885

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, (screw composite gunboat); LARK (schooner); UNDINE and HARRIER, (schooners).

December 17, 1884

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

November 13, 1884

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.