wallaroo

I think we have a date 5/9/91 - 5th September 1891 - it was a Saturday. And thanks to Trove, it was the Arrival of the (first?) Australian Auxiliary Fleet. Seven ships - KATOOMBA, TAURANGA, and WALLAROO in one line, and RINGAROOMA, MILDURA, BOOMERANG, and KARRAKATTA in another line. Very full details SMH 7/9/1891 p.8 (other relevant articles also on same page) - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13837805

Background history to "Australia's First Fleet", ship details and crew names, enough for any maritime historian - SMH 5/9/1891 - trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/13837652

beachcomber australia Wow thanks Beachcomber! Didn't realise it was 'Australia's First Fleet' - what an important moment in our history :) Very happy to have identifited the occasion.

Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons It's a bit strange. This occasion was of great importance at the time (1891) to Australia and NSW, but seems to be forgotten now. Probably more related photos will turn up now that we are conscious of the event.

beachcomber australia Hopefully! Will see if we can find anymore possibilities in our collection...

More APT tags

"Kurraba" - www.ferriesofsydney.com/kurraba.html "Wallaroo" - www.ferriesofsydney.com/wallaroo.html

Five years earlier (1900) photo of this view - www.flickr.com/photos/powerhouse_museum/3022875713/

The advert for Anthony Horderns (see note) dates this photo as 1905+.

Sorry, Powerhouse, but you have mapped this photo incorrectly. If it was taken from McMahon's Point, the photo would be the other way around. I think that it was taken from the headland near where Kirribilli House is now.

This is H.M.S. Curacoa, a ship of the Royal Navy. This one was a third class cruiser, formerly a screw corvette. Here is a circa 1890 photograph at the Australian War Memorial: cas.awm.gov.au/photograph/302169 and an 1890 photograph from the State Library of South Australia here: images.slsa.sa.gov.au/mpcimg/10750/B10531.htm The curator's notes at the Powerhouse Museum's persistent URL say this may possibly be Mort's dock. It may also be Fitzroy Dock at Cockatoo Island. See the identical rock formations at the left hand side of this photograph: naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/PhotoSearchItemDetail.asp?M=0&am...

I've just noticed that there is a second ship in the dry dock, one that appears to have two masts and two funnels.

Here's a good comparison pic of Fitzroy Dock. Compare the rock formation on the left side of the dock here: www.flickr.com/photos/donshearman/1472304960/in/set-72157...

HMS Curacoa was sold out of RN service in 1904 while the Victorian paint job pre-dates 1902/1903. Please add to: Naval History

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Nautical pictures of interest., and we'd love to have this added to the group! Nice and interesting shot.