On This Day
1900-1913 > Federation, RAN and pre-WW1
On This Day - 1900-1913
- October 30, 1900
The Naval Brigade of HMS POWERFUL, (a previous flagship of the Australia Station), attacked Boer positions at Lombards Kop, Ladysmith, South Africa.
- September 19, 1900
The 600-strong Australian Naval Brigade Contingent, advanced by lighter and road to attack the Chinese Boxer fortifications at Peking. They arrived to find the fort had been taken by Russian troops.
- September 18, 1900
A force of 600, drawn from the Australian Naval contingents, assembled at Tientsin for the attack on Chinese Boxer fortifications at Peking.
- September 11, 1900
HMCS PROTECTOR was commissioned as HMS PROTECTOR at Hong Kong
- August 15, 1900
The Victorian Naval Brigade contingent to the Boxer Rebellion landed at Taku. They advanced to Tientsin next day, but fighting had ended and they were employed as police and firemen.
- August 12, 1900
South Australian gunboat, HMCS PROTECTOR, (CAPT W. R. Creswell, RN), sailed from Sydney for China.
- August 8, 1900
Transport 105, (the vessel SS SALAMIS), sailed from Sydney with men from the NSW Naval Brigade, (146 men), Victorian Naval Brigade, (170 men), and a platoon of Marine Light Infantry, (31 men), for service in China to suppress the Boxer Rebellion. The Marine Light Infantry, (MLI), were Australian soldiers destined for service in South Africa, but who were diverted to augment the two Naval Brigades. They were named the MLI as they wished to remain separate to the Naval Brigade members.
- August 6, 1900
HMCS PROTECTOR, (CAPT W. R. Creswell, RN), sailed from Adelaide to China, to participate in quelling the Boxer Rebellion.
- July 31, 1900
The Victorian Naval Brigade Contingent, for the Boxer Rebellion, sailed from Melbourne in the transport SALAMIS.
- June 3, 1900
HM Ships LIZARD, MOHAWK, and WALLAROO, which were part of the RN Australian Squadron, were dispatched from Sydney to China, to join the squadron commanded by ADML Sir E. H. Seymour, that was involved in putting down the Boxer Rebellion.
- May 1, 1900
CAPT William Rooke Creswell was appointed Naval Commandant of Queensland.
- April 4, 1900
CAPT Hector McDonald Laws Waller, DSO and Bar, RAN, one of Australia’s greatest naval commanders, was born at Benalla, VIC.