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There are 3242 entries in this era
- 14 July 1866
HMVS VICTORIA, and the Government steamer PHAROS, rescued 452 passengers and crew from the clipper ship NETHERBY, wrecked on King Island, Bass Straight, off Victoria.
- 28 May 1867
CDRE Rowley Lambert, CB, was appointed Commodore Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS CHALLENGER
- 22 July 1867
HMVS NELSON, (1st rate), was commissioned under CMDR C. B. Payne, RN.
- 01 September 1867
HMVS CERBERUS, (turret ship), was laid down at Palmer’s Yard, Plymouth, England.
- 20 October 1867
HMS NELSON, (wooden line of battleship), was presented to the Victorian Navy.
- 04 January 1868
The foundation stone of the graving dock at the Williamstown Naval Dockyard, VIC, was laid by HRH Prince Alfred, KG, Duke of Edinburgh, who arrived in Port Phillip in the Royal Navy’s first ironclad HMS WARRIOR. The vessel was the forerunner of the modern battleship and battle-cruiser.
- 04 February 1868
HMVS NELSON, (Acting CMDR C. B. Payne, RN), arrived in Hobsons Bay, VIC. The wooden battleship was first commissioned in 1815 as a three-decker, mounting 120 guns. She was converted to a two-decker, 72 guns, and fitted with auxiliary machinery at Portsmouth.
- 04 August 1869
HMS PHOEBE, (CAPT John Bythesea, RN), joined ADML Hornby’s Flying Squadron on a round the-world flag-showing cruise. A midshipman in HMS PHOEBE was William Creswell, later to become ‘the father of the RAN’.
- 13 August 1869
Fort Denison in Port Jackson, Sydney, was garrisoned by the NSW Naval Brigade.
- 27 November 1869
HMS PHOEBE, (corvette), arrived at Port Phillip with ADML Hornby’s Flying Squadron. A midshipman in the vessel was William Creswell.
- 09 February 1870
A “Southern Cross Flag”, claimed to be the official ensign of the Colony of Victoria, was hoisted in HMVS NELSON.
- 08 April 1870
CDRE F. Stirling, RN, was appointed Commodore Commanding Australia Station. His Flagship was HMS CLIO.
- 03 September 1870
CDRE Frederick H. Stirling was appointed Commodore Commanding the Australia Station. His flagship was HMS CLIO.
- 10 September 1870
Gun teams from the Victorian Naval Brigade, exercised for the first time in HMVS NELSON.
- 29 October 1870
HMVS CERBERUS, (armoured-turret ship), met a gale while on passage from Chatham to Plymouth, England. Officials at the Admiralty were concerned at the seaworthiness of the ship, following the loss of HMS CAPTAIN, a similar type of vessel. LEUT Panter, RN, reported the ship sailed like ‘a half-tide rock’. On arrival at Plymouth, the crew promptly deserted.
- 09 April 1871
HMVS CERBERUS, (armoured-turret ship), launched in England in December 1868, arrived in Port Phillip, VIC, on her maiden voyage. At that time CERBERUS was the most powerful ship in the southern hemisphere.
- 11 January 1872
The British Prime Minister, Mr Gladstone, proposed the use of HMVS VICTORIA, (survey vessel), for policing blackbirding in the South Seas.
- 20 February 1873
CAPT John Moresby, RN, HMS BASILISK, (wooden paddle sloop), discovered Port Moresby, New Guinea. He named it in honour of his father, ADML Sir Fairfax Moresby.
- 25 May 1873
CDRE J. G. Goodenough, CB, CMG, was appointed Commodore Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS PEARL
- 14 September 1873
The graving dock at Williamstown, Melbourne, was completed.
- 23 October 1873
RADM J. S. Dumaresq, the first Australian-born Flag Officer to command the Australian Squadron, was born at Sydney.
- 02 March 1874
HMVS NELSON was the first warship docked in the Alfred Graving Dock at Williamstown, VIC.
- 28 May 1874
The paddlewheel sloop HMS BASILISK, (CAPT John Moresby, RN), completed an extensive survey of New Guinea waters. Areas surveyed included Redscar Bay, Basilisk Bay, the China Straits, Hayter Island, Milne Bay, Normanby Island, Fergusson Island, Possession Bay, Cape Bartle Island, Collingwood Bay, Richie Island, Parsee Point, Huon Gulf, Lesson Island, Humboldt Bay and Threshold Bay.
- 03 July 1874
New victualling allowances proclaimed for all Imperial ships of the Australia Station were communicated as follows:- Victualling Regulations. Admiralty Office, July 1 1874.The King, having been pleased, by his order in council of 23rd June, to establish a new and improved scale for victualling His Majesty’s Navy, a copy thereof is subjoined. ‘There shall be allowed to every person serving in His Majesty’s ships, the following daily quantities of provisions, viz. Bread…………………………… One pound. Cocoa……………………………One ounce. Sugar…………………………….One and a half ounce. Fresh meat One pound. Vegetables……………………..Half pound. Tea……………………………….Quarter of an ounce. ‘When fresh meat and vegetables are not issued, there shall be allowed in lieu thereof:- Salt beef…………………….. Three quarter lb. and Flour…………………………… Three quarter lb. Alternately Salt pork……………………… Three quarter lb. and Pease………………………….. One half lb ‘And weekly, whether fresh or salt meat is issued, oatmeal– half pint; vinegar– half pint.’On the days on which the flour is ordered to be issued, suet and raisins or currants, may be substituted for a portion of flour, at the following rate:- 1 lb. of raisins or, one half lb. of currants or, one half lb. of suet, considered equal to one lb. of flour’ ‘In case it should be found necessary to alter any of the above species of provisions and to issue other as their substitutes, it is to be observed that:-One quarter lb. of soft bread, or one lb. of rice, or one lb. of flour is to be considered equal to 1 lb. of biscuit. 1 pint of wine, or one quarter pint of spirits, is to be considered equal to a gallon of beer.1 oz. of coffee, or one half oz. of tea, is to be considered equal to 1 oz. of cocoa. 1 lb. of rice, or 1 pint of calavances, or 1 pint of dholl, is to be considered equal to 1 pint of pease. 1 lb. of butter is to be considered equal to 1 lb. of sugar. 2 lbs. of cheese are to be considered equal to 1 lb. of cocoa. One quarter lb. of onions, or of leeks, is to be considered equal to 1 lb. of other vegetables. ‘By command of their Lordships, ‘J. W. CROKER’
- 20 August 1875
CDRE James Goodenough, RN, commander of the Australia Squadron 1873-75, died from wounds sustained from poisoned arrows, fired by Santa Cruz Islanders.
- 07 September 1875
CDRE Anthony H. Hoskins, CB, was appointed Commodore Commanding the Australia Station. His flagship was HMS WOLVERINE
- 02 December 1875
HMVS VICTORIA went to the rescue of the clipper ship TIENSTIN, foundering in Bass Strait. The crew of the disabled ship was taken off, and an attempt was made to tow TIENSTIN to safety, but she rolled over and sank.
- 01 January 1878
The NSW Torpedo Corps was formed under Major Cracknell. In March 1879 the name was changed to the NSW Torpedo and Signalling Corps. It’s initial strength was 6 officers and 88 men.
- 19 September 1878
CDRE J. C. Wilson, ADC, was appointed Commodore Commanding the Australia Station. His flagship was HMS WOLVERINE.
- 10 December 1878
CDRE John C. Wilson, ADC, was appointed Commodore Commanding Australia Station.
- 19 December 1878
CDRE John C. Wilson, ADC, was appointed Commodore Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS WOLVERINE.
- 31 May 1881
RADM Sir Leighton Seymour Bracegirdle, KCVO, CMG, DSO, RAN, was born in Balmain, Sydney.
- 29 June 1881
HMS NELSON, (armoured-belt cruiser), was flagship of the Imperial Squadron on the Australia Station. Two warships of the same name were in Australian waters at this period. The second HMS NELSON, (1st rate), later reduced to a single deck ship, and re-named HMVS NELSON, was flagship of the Victorian Navy.
- 16 January 1882
HMS WOLVERINE, (screw corvette), was presented to the NSW Government as a “royal gift”. The ship was used for training the NSW Naval Brigade.
- 20 January 1882
HMCS WOLVERINE sailed on her first training cruise with the NSW Naval Brigade.
- 21 January 1882
CDRE James E. Erskine, RN, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS NELSON.
- 15 February 1882
The Melbourne Age claimed the visit of ADML Aslanbegoff’s squadron to Australia was directly associated with the threatened war between Britain and Russia and their presence was for the purpose of raiding British commerce.
- 23 March 1882
The Report of a Royal Commission into Colonial Defence ordered by the British Prime Minister, Disraeli, was published in part. Sections dealing with the un-preparedness of Australian colonies to defend themselves were suppressed.
- 03 July 1882
The RN established the Directorate of Intelligence under ADML Sir George Tryon. Both Tryon and ADML Sir Lewis Beaumont, who later directed DNI, served on the Australia Station, and contributed to the formation of the RAN.
- 18 March 1883
The German corvette SMS CAROLA, sailed from Sydney with orders to lay claim to eastern New Guinea and islands of the Bismarck Archipelago, on behalf of the German Government. The Queensland premier, Sir Thomas McIlwraith, saw this as threat and dispatched the Government steamer PEARL to Port Moresby. While his actions caused serious concern within the British Foreign Office, it did forestall the Germans annexing all of eastern New Guinea. The northern portion of New Guinea became the colony of German New Guinea, with the southern section controlled by the British.