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- 14 February 1884
The steam gunboat, HMVS VICTORIA, (CAPT A. B. Thomas, RN), sailed from Portsmouth for Australia.
- 29 February 1884
HMVS CHILDERS, (torpedo boat), ran out of coal off the coast of Portugal and was forced to lay-to until found by the steamer Pathan which supplied her with enough coal to reach Gibraltar. To avoid a similar situation on the run from Malta to Alexandria she was diverted to Crete, and so became the first Australian warship to visit the Greek naval base at Suda Bay.
- 16 March 1884
HMVS CHILDERS, en route to Australia, was diverted to the port of Suakin to participate in the Sudan War. The Victorian gunboats VICTORIA and ALBERT, joined her there on 19 March, but their services were not required and they were then sent on their way to continue passage to Australia.
- 01 May 1884
Tasmania’s only warship, an unnamed 2nd class torpedo boat known as TB1, arrived in Hobart.
- 13 May 1884
HMQS GAYUNDAH, (gunboat), was launched at Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
- 19 June 1884
The steel twin-screw gunboat PROTECTOR was commissioned. PROTECTOR was laid down in Armstrong, Mitchell & Co., Elswick, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, for service with the South Australian Government. Heavily armed for her size PROTECTOR was practically a small cruiser.
- 16 July 1884
HMQS MOSQUITO, (2nd class torpedo boat), was launched in the UK.
- 28 July 1884
The Admiralty requested the services of either HMQ Ships GAYUNDAH or PALUMA for survey duties in northern waters. PALUMA was selected and converted for the purpose.
- 26 September 1884
The Queensland Navy gunboats GAYUNDAH and PALUMA completed shipbuilder trials on the Tyne River England. Both vessels attained a speed of 10 knots.
- 30 September 1884
HMC gunboat PROTECTOR, (CAPT J. C. P. Walcot, RN), arrived in Port Adelaide, SA.
- 12 November 1884
RADM George Tryon, CB, RN, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Australia Station. His flagship was HMS NELSON.
- 13 November 1884
HMQS GAYUNDAH, (gunboat), sailed from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, for Brisbane, QLD. The ship was under the command of CAPT Henry Townley Wright, RN, for the voyage.
- 17 December 1884
A signal from CDRE Erskine, RN, Commanding Australia Station, to the Admiralty, reported the formation of German colonies in New Guinea and adjacent islands.
- 02 January 1885
The Imperial Squadron in Australia consisted of HM Ships NELSON, (armoured iron cruiser); DIAMOND, (wooden screw corvette); ESPIEGLE and MIRANDA, (composite sloops); DART, (survey vessel); RAVEN, (steam composite gunboat); SWINGER, (screw composite gunboat); LARK (schooner); UNDINE and HARRIER, (schooners).
- 22 January 1885
RADM Sir George Tryon, the first Flag Officer to command the RN Squadron on the Australia Station, hoisted his flag in HMS NELSON at Sydney.
- 23 January 1885
The Queensland Naval Brigade was formed under LEUT Walton Drake, RN.
- 16 February 1885
Admiralty House, Sydney, was purchased for £40,000 from the Hon Thomas Cadell as an official residence for the Flag Officer Commanding the Australian Station.
- 03 March 1885
The NSW Contingent to the war in the Sudan sailed from Sydney in the troopships IBERIA and AUSTRALASIAN. Among those who served in the contingent were a number of ex-RN personnel and some NSW Naval Brigade personnel, (allowed leave to join the contingent). Also in the Contingent was Private Brownlow, who later served in the NSW Naval Brigade, ANF and the RAN and rose to the rank of Captain.
- 25 March 1885
CMDR J. C. P. Walcot, RN, was commissioned as commandant of the South Australian Naval Brigade.
- 27 March 1885
ADML Sir George Tryon, CB, presented his proposals on the defence of Australia to the Governments of the Australian Colonies. The report recommended one fleet for all the colonies and New Zealand.
- 28 March 1885
HMQS GAYUNDA, (gunboat), arrived at Brisbane on her maiden voyage.
- 13 April 1885
HMS DIAMOND, (corvette), was stationed at Port Adelaide to guard against an attack by Russian commerce raiders.
- 02 June 1885
The strength of the NSW Naval Brigade reached 640, in all ranks.
- 04 July 1885
Rates of pay in force for the Queensland Navy:-Commander: £1200; Senior Lieutenant: £720; Lieutenant Instructor: £300; Chief Engineer: £600; Assistant Engineer: £360; Gunner and Instructor: £360; Master at Arms: £240; Ship Steward: £240; Wardroom Steward: £192; Captain’s Servant: £120; Chief Boatswain’s Mate: £192; Stokers: £168 to £192; Cook: £180; 2nd Class Petty Officer £168; Armourer: £164; Seaman: £144; Wardroom Officer’s Servant: £96; Boy: £24; The rates quoted are annual, but few members of the service were engaged on a permanent basis.
- 09 September 1885
The Admiralty asked the Australian colonies to raise, maintain, and command, local defence forces.
- 02 September 1886
The Admiralty approved the hoisting of the White Ensign in the Queensland gunboat PALUMA, while the vessel was engaged in survey duties.
- 01 January 1887
RADM Henry Fairfax, CB, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Australia Station. His flagships were HM Ships NELSON and ORLANDO.
- 30 January 1887
The Admiralty agreed to provide eight cadetships a year for Australians, and two for New Zealanders, at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Approval was also given for the formation of Naval Reserves in both colonies. The decision followed demands for increased colonial involvement in naval defence.
- 01 February 1887
RADM Henry Fairfax, CB, appointed Flag Officer Commanding Australia Station. His flagship was HMS NELSON.
- 06 February 1887
VADM Sir John Crace, KBE, CB, RN, was born at Gungahlin, NSW, (now part of modern-day Canberra). Although Australian by birth he entered the Royal Navy in 1902. He rose steadily through the ranks of the Royal Navy and was appointed Commander of the Australian Squadron in November 1939 with the rank of Rear Admiral. He commanded the Squadron during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. Crace returned to England in June 1942, was knighted in 1947, and lived there until his death in 1968.
- 05 October 1887
The anthem ‘Advance Australia Fair’ was first performed. Bands of the RAN played the anthem in 1919.
- 16 February 1888
Calliope Dock opened at Auckland, New Zealand. The dock was used for ships of the Australia Station when facilities in Sydney were not available.
- 13 July 1888
The South Australian Government came under bitter criticism for not despatching their gunboat PROTECTOR to sea, to search for survivors of the sailing ship STAR OD GREECE. PROTECTOR stood by in Port Adelaide with steam up, but the order to sail was not received.
- 26 October 1888
Plans for a protected cruiser for the Victorian Navy were prepared by Sir William Armstrong & Co., England, and placed before the Victorian Government. The 1040 ton ship was designed to carry three 6-inch breech loaders, four 6lb guns, six 3lb guns, and six Gatling guns, in addition to two 18-inch torpedo tubes. The ship was never built.
- 15 November 1888
CAPT Henry Coey Kane, RN, (HMS CALLIOPE), gave evidence before a NSW Parliamentary Committee on the relative merits of various ports in Australasia as the location for a base for ships of the Australia Station.
- 03 March 1889
HMS CALLIOPE, (screw corvette), was despatched from Sydney to Samoa to forestall German and American plans to annex the island.
- 04 April 1889
HMS CALLIOPE, (corvette), returned to Sydney after surviving a hurricane at Apia, Samoa.
- 25 May 1889
The foundation stone of the Royal Naval House, Sydney, ‘Johnnie’s’, was laid by Lady Carrington.
- 30 June 1889
The fleet of the State of Victoria consisted of HMV Ships NELSON, (cut-down 1st rate); CERBERUS, (turret ship); BATMAN, and FAWKNER, (armed auxiliaries); CHILDERS, NEPEAN, and LONSDALE, (torpedo boats); VICTORIA, and ALBERT, (gunboats); GORDON, COMMISSIONER, and LION, (torpedo launches); GANNET, (armed tug); and LADY LOCH, (armed auxiliary).
- 10 September 1889
RADM the Rt. Hon Lord Charles T. M. D. Scott, CB, was appointed Flag Officer Commanding the Australia Station. His flagship was HMS ORLANDO.