On This Day

1900-1913 > Federation, RAN and pre-WW1

October 21, 1913

RADM Sir George E Patey, RN, assumed command of the Australia Station from ADML Sir George King Hall, RN, as the Station’s last RN commander-in-chief.

October 4, 1913

The first RAN fleet, under the command of RADM Sir George Patey, RN, in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), entered Sydney Harbour. With AUSTRALIA were her consorts HMA Ships MELBOURNE, SYDNEY, ENCOUNTER, PARRAMATTA, YARRA, and WARREGO.

July 1, 1913

The administration of the following Sydney Naval Establishments was transferred to the Naval Board of the Commonwealth of Australia; Garden Island Dockyard; Royal Edward Victualling Yard; Naval Ordnance Depot; Spectacle Island; Medical Depot; The depot ship HMS PENGUIN, which became HMAS PENGUIN.

The Wild Swan class sloop, (later converted to a stationary depot ship), HMAS PENGUIN, was commissioned. PENGUIN was laid down in Napier’s Yard, Clydebank, Scotland, launched in 1876, and commissioned into the RN in August 1877. PENGUIN was based in Sydney from 1890, and carried out surveys in Australian coastal waters until 31 March 1907. She served as a depot ship for the RN, before becoming part of the transfer of RN Establishments to the RAN in 1913.

June 23, 1913

RADM G. Patey, MVO, hoisted his flag in HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), at Portsmouth. He was knighted the same day on his own quarterdeck by HRH King George V.

The Town class light cruiser HMAS SYDNEY, (CAPT J. C. T. Glossop, RN), was commissioned. SYDNEY was laid down in London & Glasgow Shipbuilding, Govan, Scotland, on 11 February 1911, and launched on 29 August 1912. Lady Henderson, (Wife of ADML Sir Reginald Henderson, RN), performed the launching ceremony.

June 21, 1913

The battle-cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA, (CAPT S. H. Radcliffe, RN), was commissioned at Portsmouth, England. AUSTRALIA was laid down in John Brown Yard, Clydebank, Scotland, on 23 June 1910, and launched on 25 October 1911. Lady Reid, (Wife of the Australian High Commissioner), performed the ceremony. AUSTRALIA sailed in company with HMAS SYDNEY for Australia in July 1913, flying the flag of RADM G. Patey, RN.

May 21, 1913

RADM Sir George Patey, KCVO, RN, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australian Squadron. His flagship was HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser).

May 9, 1913

ADML Sir Victor Alfred Trumper Smith, AC, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN, (1913 – 1998), first graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College to reach the rank of Admiral, was born at Chatswood, NSW.

May 8, 1913

The Minister for the Navy approved the formation of the Naval Dockyard Police. The initial strength was one Chief Warrant Officer, one Sergeant, nine Senior Constables, and 29 Constables.

March 1, 1913

Training of the first entrants to the Royal Australian Naval College commenced at Osborne House, Geelong, VIC, under CAPT B. M. Chambers, RN.
HMS PIONEER, (3rd class cruiser), was presented to the Commonwealth of Australia as a gift from the British Admiralty and commissioned into the RAN with a nucleus crew, as tender to HMAS Penguin.

February 13, 1913

The first entry of cadets to the Royal Australian Naval College arrived at Geelong. The cadets were:-O. E. Albert, N. K. Calder, J. A. Collins, A. D. Conder, E. S. Cunningham, J. C. D. Esdaile, H. B. Farncomb, E. B. Howells, H. A. Mackenzie, J. B. Newman, E. S. Nurse, W. L. Reilly, C. A. R. Sadlier, H. A. Showers, H. J. H. Thompson, H. B, Vallentine, L. L. Watkins, A. J. B. Watts. Collins, Farncomb, and Showers, reached the rank of Admiral.

January 18, 1913

The Town class light cruiser, HMAS MELBOURNE, (CAPT M. L’Estrange Silver, RN), was commissioned. Mrs F. F. Braund, (Daughter of Mr R. Barr-Smith), performed the commissioning ceremony. MELBOURNE was laid down in Cammell-Laird Yard, UK, and launched on 30 May 1912.

August 29, 1912

HMAS SYDNEY, (cruiser), was launched at London & Glasgow Yard, UK.

July 1, 1912

HMAS ENCOUNTER, (CAPT B. M. Chambers, RN), was commissioned into the RN. As HMS ENCOUNTER she was was laid down in Devonport Dockyard on 28 January 1901, launched on 18 June 1902, and completed in December 1905. ENCOUNTER sailed in 1905 for service in the RN Australia Squadron. She was presented to the RAN in 1912 for use as a seagoing training ship, pending completion of HMAS BRISBANE.

June 1, 1912

The River class destroyer HMAS WARREGO, was commissioned at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, Sydney, and CMDR G. F. Hyde, RN, was appointed as Commanding Officer. 

May 30, 1912

HMAS MELBOURNE, (cruiser), was launched at Cammel Lairds Shipyard in England.

May 15, 1912

LEUT A. Longmore, (an Australian serving with the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps), and LEUT Samson, were the first pilots to fly aircraft at a Spithead Review. Longmore flew a monoplane, and Samson a ‘hydro-aeroplane’.

April 25, 1912

The boys training ship HMAS TINGIRA, (CMDR C la P. Lewin, RN), was commissioned. TINGIRA was laid down as a clipper ship SOBROAN, in Alexanda Hall & Co, Aberdeen, Scotland, and launched in 1866. In 1891 she was purchased by the NSW Government, and became the Nautical School Ship SOBROAN, and was moored off Balmain, Sydney, where she operated as a home and school for delinquent boys and orphans. She operated as the boys training ship for the RAN for the next 15 years, and produced over 3,000 ‘graduates’ for the fleet. The name is aboriginal for ‘open sea’.

February 12, 1912

The Commonwealth Naval Forces commenced the building of a naval training depot at Hanns Inlet, VIC. It was commissioned as Flinders Naval Depot in September 1920.

January 19, 1912

The Australian Government decided to establish the Royal Australian Naval College at Captains Point, Jervis Bay.

December 1, 1911

SBLT A. M. Longmore, RN, an Australian serving in the RN, successfully landed a Short S27 aircraft fitted with airbags on the Medway River, England.

November 15, 1911

The Australian Blue Ensign was hoisted in HMA Ships PARRAMATTA and YARRA, (torpedo boat destroyers), at Port Phillip, VIC to accompany the joint use of the Royal Navy’s White Ensign by Royal Australian Navy ships. The RN White Ensign replaced Australia’s national flag flown since 1901 as the Naval Ensign. With this joint flying of the White Ensign, Australia, the independent self-governing Dominion, within the British Empire, allowed itself to become more closely aligned to British Admiralty. The Admiralty, slow to accept the independence of it’s former colonies, ensured that, following Australia’s RADM Creswell, influence would be maintained by only by RN Admirals being appointed as Australia’s First Naval Member on the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board (ACNB). This was not a legal requirement of the Australian Constitution but had been diplomatically managed. This “agreed” position lasted until RADM Sir John Collins KBE RAN was appointed First Naval Member of ACNB in 1947. Thereafter only Australian Admirals served as First Naval Member on the ACNB.

November 7, 1911

The site of the RAN College was selected by Parliament. After consideration of several areas, the site at Captains Point, Jervis Bay, NSW, was selected. Construction of the College began the following year, but an interim College was opened at Osborne House, Geelong, VIC, where the first class of Cadet Midshipman commenced their training in 1913. The College transferred to the Jervis Bay site in 1915.

October 23, 1911

HMAS AUSTRALIA, (battle-cruiser), was launched at Clydebank, Scotland.

October 5, 1911

The existence of the new Australian Navy was formally advised when the Naval Board issued an historic order promulgating the designation ‘Royal Australian Navy’. The order also directed that the permanent naval forces of the Commonwealth and for the ships of the Navy to be designated ‘His Majesty’s Australian Ships’, and that all ships and vessels of the Royal Australian Navy were to fly at the stern the White Ensign as the symbol of authority of the Crown, and at the jack staff, the flag of Australia.

July 31, 1911

The Imperial Conference defined: ‘The Australia Station includes waters between 95E and 160E as far south as the Antarctic Circle: but the northern boundary is drawn so as to exclude the Cocos Group and all Dutch islands, while including the whole coast of British Papua; and the eastern boundary is extended to include Norfolk Island’.
HMCS Protector redesignated as HMAS Protector.