HMS Australia (1886)

Australia had a length between perpendiculars of {{convert|300|ft|m|1}}, a beam of {{convert|56|ft|m|1}} and a draught of {{convert|24|ft|m|1}}. Designed to displace {{convert|5040|LT|t}}, all of the Orlando-class ships proved to be overweight and displaced approximately {{convert|5535|LT|t}}.

The ship was powered by a pair of three-cylinder triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one shaft, which were designed to produce a total of {{convert|8500|ihp|lk=in}} and a maximum speed of {{convert|18|kn|lk=in}} using steam provided by four boilers with forced draught. During her sea trials, Australia reached {{convert|18.8|kn}}. The ship carried a maximum of {{convert|900|LT|t}} of coal which was designed to give her a range of {{convert|8000|nmi|lk=in}} at a speed of {{convert|10|kn}}. The ship's complement was 484 officers and ratings.Chesneau & Kolesnik, p. 65

Australia{{'}}s main armament consisted of two breech-loading (BL) BL 9.2 inch gun Mk III - VII, one gun fore and aft of the superstructure on pivot mounts. Her secondary armament was ten BL 6 inch gun Mk III IV VI, five on each broadside. Protection against torpedo boats was provided by six quick-firing (QF) 6-pounder Hotchkiss guns and ten QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss guns, most of which were mounted on the main deck in broadside positions. The ship was also armed with six 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes: four on the broadside above water and one each in the bow and stern below water.

The ship was protected by a waterline compound armour belt {{convert|10|in|0}} thick. It covered the middle {{convert|200|ft|m|1}} of the ship and was {{convert|5|ft|6|in|1}} high. Because the ship was overweight, the top of the armour belt was {{convert|2|ft}} below the waterline when she was fully loaded.Friedman, p. 146 The ends of the armour belt were closed off by transverse bulkheads {{convert|16|in|0}}. The lower deck was {{convert|2|-|3|in|0}} thick over the full length of the hull. The conning tower was protected by {{convert|12|in|0}} of armour.

Australia, named for the Australian continent,Silverstone, p. 216 was laid down on 21 April 1885 by Robert Napier and Sons at their shipyard in Govan, Glasgow.

The ship was launched on 25 November 1886, and completed on 11 December 1888.Friedman, p. 342 Shortly after commissioning, she was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet and remained there until 1893 when she participated in the Columbian Review held in New York City that year to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of the New World.

Upon her return home, Australia became the coast guard ship for Southampton Water for the next decade.Friedman, p. 141 Captain Charles Henry Adair was briefly in command from November 1899 to January 1900, when Captain George Neville was appointed in command on 20 January 1900.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence|date=26 January 1900 |page=7 |issue=36049| }} She escorted the royal yacht {{ship|HMY|Osborne|1870|6}} when Queen Victoria visited Ireland in April 1900,{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence|date=29 March 1900 |page=8 |issue=36102}} and in September the following year she visited Germany and Denmark when she escorted the royal yacht carrying King Edward VII from Hamburg to Elsinore.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Royal gathering in Denmark - Arrival of the King|date=9 September 1901 |page=4 |issue=36555| }}

She took part in the fleet review held at Spithead on 16 August 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Coronation - Naval Review |date=13 August 1902 |page=4 |issue=36845| }} Captain Charles Home Cochran was appointed in command on 24 November 1902,{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Naval & Military intelligence |date=7 November 1902 |page=6 |issue=36919| }} but the ship was placed in reserve at Chatham Dockyard in early 1903, before being sold for scrap on 4 April 1905.

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite Colledge2006}}
• {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|editor1-last=Chesneau|editor1-first=Roger|editor2-last=Kolesnik|editor2-first=Eugene M.|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=Greenwich, UK|year=1979|isbn=0-8317-0302-4|name-list-style=amp|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2}}
• {{cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=British Cruisers of the Victorian Era|year=2012|publisher=Seaforth|location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK|isbn=978-1-59114-068-9}}
• {{cite book|last1=Lyon|first1=David|last2=Winfield|first2=Rif|title=The Sail & Steam Navy List|year=2004|publisher=Chatham Publishing|location=London|isbn=1-86176-032-9}}
• {{cite book|last=Silverstone|first=Paul H.|title=Directory of the World's Capital Ships|year=1984|publisher=Hippocrene Books|location=New York|isbn=0-88254-979-0}}

{{Commons category|HMS Australia (1886)|HMS Australia}}

{{Orlando class cruiser}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia}}

Category:Orlando-class cruisers

Category:1886 ships