HM Ships ELK, BOSCAWEN, and HMVS VICTORIA, searched Bass Strait and the south coast of Victoria for HMS SAPPHO which vanished without trace on a passage to Sydney. ...
On This Day
Australian Naval History on 4 February 1858
The Naval Brigade from the screw corvette HMS PELORUS, (CAPT F. P. B. Seymour, RN), landed at Rangoon to garrison Meaday Fort. PELORUS was flagship on the Australia Station in ...
Australian Naval History on 18 July 1857
HMS PELORUS, (screw steam corvette), was commissioned at Plymouth, England, under CAPT Frederick B. P. Seymour, RN. PELORUS was flagship of the Australia Station in 1860, and during that year ...
Australian Naval History on 26 March 1857
HMVS VICTORIA, (sloop of war), trained her guns on prison hulks anchored off Williamstown, VIC, during disturbances following the murder of John Price, (Inspector General of Prisons), by convicts. ...
Australian Naval History on 31 May 1856
The sloop-of war HMCS VICTORIA, (CMDR W. H. Norman, RN), arrived at Port Phillip, Melbourne, VIC, on her maiden voyage from the United Kingdom. VICTORIA was proclaimed as the ‘first ...
Australian Naval History on 8 April 1856
The Williamstown division of the Victorian Marine Artillery Corps was formed to defend Port Phillip. ...
Australian Naval History on 12 December 1855
The steam war sloop HMVS VICTORIA, (CAPT Lockyer, RN), sailed from the Thames on her maiden voyage to Australia. ...
Australian Naval History on 17 October 1855
CAPT William Loring, CB, RN, commanded HMS FURIOUS in the attack on Kinburn Split in the Crimea. CAPT Loring was the Commodore Commanding the Australia Station from 1859 to 1860. ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 1855
HMVS VICTORIA, (sloop of war), was launched on the River Thames, London. ...
Australian Naval History on 4 April 1855
HMCS SPITFIRE, (ketch), was launched in Cuthbert’s shipyard, Sydney. The vessel was described at the time as 65 tons displacement, 51 ft long, 16 ft 6 in beam, ketch rigged, ...
Australian Naval History on 31 May 1853
HMS BRAMBLE was loaned to the NSW Government as a diving bell tender at Cockatoo Island. In 1873 the vessel was reported as a light ship. It was finally sold ...
Australian Naval History on 9 October 1852
A special Admiralty committee examined the problems of manning the RN. Recommendations made by the committee led to wide-sweeping changes in 1853, which included the abolition of the press gang, ...
Australian Naval History on 20 July 1852
VADM Sir W. R. Creswell, KCMG, KBE, ‘Father of the RAN’, was born at Gibraltar where his father was the postmaster. ...
Australian Naval History on 22 August 1848
An historic tug-of-war between HMS BASILISK, (paddlewheel sloop), and HMS NIGER, (screw sloop), was conducted to prove the relevant efficiency of the two systems of propulsion. NIGER won the contest. ...
Australian Naval History on 17 May 1843
The first war vessel built in Australia, the schooner ELIZA, (119 tons schooner), patrolled the estuary of the Derwent River, TAS, to put down smuggling, and prevent the escape of ...
Australian Naval History on 11 January 1843
LEUT Charles B. Yule, RN, of HMS BRAMBLE, discovered and named Heron Island. ...
Australian Naval History on 12 October 1836
The schooner HMCS ISABELLA, (LEUT Charles Morgan Lewis, RN), arrived in Port Jackson, NSW, with one survivor and 45 skulls from the barque SIR CHARLES EATON, wrecked on Aureed Island, ...
Australian Naval History on 11 September 1836
CAPT Thomas Lipson, RN, was appointed Naval Officer, Port Adelaide, SA. ...
Australian Naval History on 1 August 1831
The NSW Government Gazette announced that officers of the Royal Navy and Marines, retiring from the service or going on half-pay, (in Australia), would be entitled to the following remissions ...
Australian Naval History on 30 June 1831
HMS COMET, (sloop, 18 guns), was stationed at Port Jackson, Sydney. The vessel was used for punitive expeditions in the Pacific Islands. ...
Australian Naval History on 6 March 1827
CAPT James Stirling, RN, in HMS SUCCESS, named Garden Island, at the mouth of the Swan River, WA, where Fremantle now stands. Garden Island became HMAS STIRLING, (Fleet Base West), ...
Australian Naval History on 4 December 1824
HMC Ship AMITY, (brig), returned to Sydney after conveying the Governor of NSW, Sir Thomas Brisbane and his staff, to the Brisbane River, for the founding of the settlement which ...
Australian Naval History on 11 January 1824
The following monthly rates of pay for naval officers were fixed by the Admiralty:- £61 7s 4d (1st rate ship); £23 0s 4d (sloop); First Lieutenant £11 10s 0d (1st ...
Australian Naval History on 23 October 1823
HMC cutter MERMAID sailed with explorer John Oxley to survey the coast between Fingal Head and Gladstone. ...
Australian Naval History on 9 September 1820
HMCS SPITFIRE, transported the expedition of LEUT J. W. Smith, RN, and G. E. Dalrymple, to explore northern Queensland. Spitfire Rock was named to honour the schooner ...