Little Known Facts of Australia’s naval history in the WWI Period

Our speaker will be Captain Ian Pfennigwerth RAN ret.

Dr Ian Pfennigwerth is a Naval Historian of note and the author of many books on naval subjects, including ‘A Man of Intelligence’ - The Life of Captain Eric Nave Australian Code-Breaker Extraordinary’.

Ian’s presentation will cover events in Australian Naval History leading up to and during World War I which have particular relevance to Victorians. He will cover a range of issues, including:

  • charting the transition of the colonial naval forces to the Commonwealth Naval Forces in 1901, and
  • progress towards the integration and development of this disparate collection of ships and men into the Royal Australian Navy in 1911;
  • the establishment of the Naval Board and Head Quarters at Victoria Barracks;
  • the role played in training the new Navy by Williamstown Dockyard;
  • selection and construction of HMAS Cerberus as the Navy’s main recruit and technical training centre;
  • HMAS Lonsdale;
  • the RAN Brigade;
  • the Pfalz and Hobart incidents;
  • RAN Code-breaking;
  • the takeover of Australian W/T stations by the RAN; and
  • the Victorian role in the Battle of Bita Paka.

Join us on Monday March 28th at the Melbourne Naval Centre,145W Toorak Road South Yarra.

The meeting commences at 7.30pm. Bring a friend! All welcome.

Date
Monday 28 March 2011
Time:
7.30 pm
Location:
The Melbourne Naval Centre
146W Toorak Road, South Yarra
(Melways 2LE4 - opposite Fawkner Park in the ESU Building).
Note:
The Centre opens at approximately 6.30pm to facilitate use of our excellent library.