AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 78, 2 April 1913, Page 8

AUSTRALIA'S NAVY.

(See Map on this Page.)

Simultaneously with the arrival of H.M.A.S. Melbourne on the Australian naval station comes the news of the sueOessful speed trials of the battleship cruiser Australia—the nation's first battleship, says the Melbourne "Age." In build, the Melbourne will not appear unlike the Encounter, and her rig, therefore, will not be strange to Australian eyes. She is the third English-built vessel of the fleet unit, of which the. remainder are to be assembled at the Australian naval base in July, forming the first line of proteetionl The sister ship of the- Melbourne, the Sydney, ia almost completed in England, and the third ship of the class, the Brisbane, was commenced at the naval dock yard, Cockatoo Island, Sydney, a few weeks. ago. Therefore, in barely a year, Australia will have laid in an unmistakable manner the foundations of a naval squadron that, when completed, will have cost the nation £23,000,000. Bases, dock yards, station, have been commenced, and are to cost some £15,000,000 more, so that by 1922 Australia will bea complete naval station—an outpost of Empire. The cost of the Dreadnought cruiser, the' three 5,000-ton protected cruisers, five modem destroyers, and two submarines will be, approximately, Though the question as to the extent of the naval station and the limit of the guardianship of surrounding waters was considered at the Imperial Conference of 1909 ( and decided upon, minor alterations have since been effected, and these were a few weeks since detailed in navy orders. The black line in the above map shows the limits of the Australian station, marking clearly the exclusion of New Zealand. It has to be noted also that the northern waters of the station around the coast of Papua meet sharply those of Germany, who is established in the northern portion of the island. Thebases of the fleet (shown on the map) are as follow:— Thursday Island.—Fleet, secondare taw destroyer base. "<**ry Das e, Townsville.—Destroyer sub-base .ne.— Destroyer base, sub. submarine Tort Stephens.—Submarine base Sydney.—Fleet primary base, including dockyard, naval depot, ginnery,' Wireless and cookery schools main recrnir" tag y£d r s ltraiJsins shi P centre), shipbundJervis Bay.—Selected by Federal GovconSd 8 f ° r naTOI CoUese « nOw beta * sn Ho^rt.—Destroyer sub-base, submarine Beauty Point (Tamar River).—Destroyer snb-basc, submarine sub-base. ■""^"oyer ■Melbourne.—Main recruiting centre Woetemport.—Destroyer base, enbnerlne base, navel depot and torpedo school Adelaide.—Becndtlnz centre. sub°base UneOln ' —SU^marine baße, 4estr <»yer !«?i e^2 tle ~ P L eet P rin »«y «>a«e ana dockyard destroyer base, submarine base Cone Bay (or Port North-Weet Coiefl.— »<etroyer snb-base, submarine sab-base Danrin.—Fleet secojidarv base dpsh-nr.r •nb*ase and submarine eubW. tWye?