On This Day
1900-1913 > Federation, RAN and pre-WW1
On This Day - 1900-1913
- 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.