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{{Other ships|HMAS Australia}}
{{short description|Indefatigable-class battlecruiser}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=HMAS Australia 1914.jpg
|image alt = Side view of a large warship with three funnels and two large masts at rest on flat water.
|Ship caption=[[Her Majesty's Australian Ship|HMAS]] ''Australia''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Ship country=Australia
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|Australia|naval-1913}}
|Ship name=''Australia''
|Ship namesake=Commonwealth of Australia
|Ship ordered=9 December 1909
|Ship builder=[[John Brown & Company]], [[Clydebank]]
|Ship yard number=402
|Ship laid down=26 June 1910
|Ship launched=25 October 1911
|Ship commissioned=21 June 1913
|Ship decommissioned=12 December 1921
|Ship motto="Endeavour"
|Ship nickname=
|Ship honours=*'''Battle honours:'''
* Rabaul 1914
* [[Naval warfare of World War I#North Sea|North Sea]] 1915–18
|Ship fate=Scuttled, 12 April 1924
|Ship identification=[[Pennant number]]s: C6 / 09 / 81<ref name=Cassells16.7/>
|Ship badge=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Ship class={{sclass|Indefatigable|battlecruiser}}
|Ship displacement=*{{convert|18500|LT|t}} at load
* {{convert|22130|LT|t}} at deep load
|Ship length={{convert|590|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|80|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|30|ft|4|in|m|1|abbr=on}} at maximum
|Ship power=*{{convert|44000|shp|abbr=on|0}}
* 31 [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s
|Ship propulsion=4 shafts; 2 [[steam turbine]] sets
|Ship speed={{convert|25|kn}}
|Ship range={{convert|6690|nmi}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
|Ship complement=818 (1913)
|Ship armament=*4 × twin [[BL 12 inch Mk X naval gun|BL 12-inch Mk X guns]]
* 16 × single [[BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII|BL 4-inch Mk VII guns]]
* 2 × [[British 18 inch torpedo|18-inch torpedo]] tubes
|Ship armour=*[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|4|-|6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Decks]]: {{convert|1.5|-|2.5|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|7|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{convert|7|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}
'''HMAS ''Australia''''' was one of three {{sclass|Indefatigable|battlecruiser}}s built for the defence of the [[British Empire]]. Ordered by the Australian government in 1909, she was launched in 1911, and commissioned as [[flagship]] of the fledgling [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN) in 1913. ''Australia'' was the only [[capital ship]] to serve in the RAN.{{efn-ua|The Royal Australian Navy claims that ''Australia'' was the only capital ship to serve in the RAN.<ref name=Symbolic1/> However, some sources also define the light aircraft carriers {{HMAS|Sydney|R17|2}}, {{HMS|Vengeance|R71|2}}, and {{HMAS|Melbourne|R21|2}} as capital ships, and one (Cassells' ''The Capital Ships'') also includes heavy and light cruisers, a destroyer tender, and a seaplane carrier in this definition.<ref>Cassells, ''The Capital Ships'', pp. ix, 3, 211</ref>}}

At the start of [[World War I]], ''Australia'' was tasked with finding and destroying the German [[East Asia Squadron]], which was prompted to withdraw from the Pacific by the battlecruiser's presence. Repeated diversions to support the capture of [[German colonial empire|German colonies]] in [[German New Guinea|New Guinea]] and [[German Samoa|Samoa]], as well as an overcautious [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]], prevented the battlecruiser from engaging the German squadron before the latter's destruction. ''Australia'' was then assigned to [[Naval warfare of World War I#North Sea|North Sea operations]], which consisted primarily of patrols and exercises, until the end of the war. During this time, ''Australia'' was involved in early attempts at [[naval aviation]], and 11 of her personnel participated in the [[Zeebrugge Raid]]. The battlecruiser was not at the [[Battle of Jutland]], as she was undergoing repairs following a collision with sister ship {{HMS|New Zealand|1911|6}}. ''Australia'' only ever [[fired in anger]] twice: at a German merchant vessel in January 1915, and at a suspected submarine contact in December 1917.

On her return to Australian waters, several sailors aboard the warship [[mutiny|mutinied]] after a request for an extra day's [[leave (military)|leave]] in [[Fremantle, Western Australia|Fremantle]] was denied, although other issues played a part in the mutiny, including minimal leave during the war, problems with pay, and the perception that [[Royal Navy]] personnel were more likely to receive promotions than Australian sailors. Post-war budget cuts saw ''Australia''{{'}}s role downgraded to a training ship before she was placed in reserve in 1921. The [[disarmament]] provisions of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] required the destruction of ''Australia'' as part of the British Empire's commitment, and she was scuttled off [[Sydney Heads]] in 1924.

==Design==
The ''Indefatigable'' class of battlecruisers were based heavily on the preceding {{sclass|Invincible|battlecruiser|4}}. The main difference was that the ''Indefatigable''{{'}}s design was enlarged to give the ships' two-wing turrets a wider arc of fire. As a result, the ''Indefatigable'' class was not a significant improvement on the ''Invincible'' design; the ships were smaller and not as well protected as the contemporary German battlecruiser {{SMS|Von der Tann}} and subsequent German designs. While ''Von der Tann''{{'}}s characteristics were not known when the [[lead ship]] of the class, {{HMS|Indefatigable|1909|6}}, was laid down in February 1909, the Royal Navy obtained accurate information on the German ship before work began on ''Australia'' and her sister ship {{HMS|New Zealand|1911|6}}.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', pp. 28–29</ref>
[[File:HMAS Australia, 1913 Charles Dixon.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Painting of a warship at sea|''Australia'' in a 1913 painting by [[Charles Dixon (artist)|Charles Edward Dixon]]]]

''Australia'' had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|590|ft|m|1}}, a [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|80|ft|m|1}}, and a maximum [[draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|30|ft|4|in|m|1}}.<ref name=Cassells16.7>Cassells, ''The Capital Ships'', pp. 16–17</ref> The ship displaced {{convert|18500|LT|t|0}} at load and {{convert|22130|LT|t|0}} at [[deep load]].<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', pp. 43–44</ref> She had a crew of 818 officers and [[naval rating|ratings]] in 1913.<ref name=b1>Burt, ''British Battleships of World War One'', p. 91</ref>

The ship was powered by two [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]]' sets of [[direct-drive]] [[steam turbine]]s, each driving two [[propeller shaft]]s, using steam provided by 31 coal-burning [[Babcock & Wilcox boiler]]s. The turbines were rated at {{convert|44000|shp|lk=on}} and were intended to give the ship a maximum speed of {{convert|25|kn|lk=in}}. However, during trials in 1913, ''Australia''{{'s}} turbines provided {{convert|55000|shp|abbr=on|0}}, allowing her to reach {{convert|26.9|kn|1}}.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', pp. 76, 80</ref> ''Australia'' carried enough coal and [[fuel oil]] to give her a range of {{convert|6690|nmi|lk=in}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|10|kn}}.<ref name=b1/>{{efn-ua| Wherever possible the Royal Navy's preference was to use Welsh coal. Coal from Westport in New Zealand was considered to be the other that provided close to the same performance and so was widely used in the Pacific, Asia and the Indian Ocean. It was found that when using Westport coal ''Australia'' needed only 23 boilers in service to cruise at 16 knots. When using Australian coal it needed all of its 31 boilers in service to maintain 15 knots, leading to a shorter range and more frequent coaling stops.<ref>Halder, ''Mutineers'', p. 25</ref> Another downside of using Australian coal was that it burned at such a high temperature that damaged the interior of the boilers.<ref>{{cite web |title= New Zealand in the Naval War 1914-1918 |website= navymuseum.co.nz |date= November 2015 |publisher= Torpedo Bay Museum |url= https://navymuseum.co.nz/explore/by-themes/world-war-one/new-zealand-in-the-naval-war-1914-1918/ |accessdate= 19 April 2023}}</ref>}}

''Australia'' carried eight [[BL 12 inch Mk X naval gun|BL {{convert|12|in|adj=on|0}} Mark X guns]] in four BVIII* twin [[gun turret|turrets]]; the largest guns fitted to any Australian warship.<ref name=Cassells16.7/> Two turrets were mounted fore and aft on the centreline, identified as 'A' and 'X' respectively. The other two were [[wing turret]]s mounted amidships and staggered diagonally: 'P' was forward and to port of the centre funnel, while 'Q' was situated starboard and aft.<ref name=Bastock34/> Each wing turret had some limited ability to fire to the opposite side. Her [[secondary armament]] consisted of sixteen [[BL 4 inch naval gun Mk VII|BL {{convert|4|in|adj=on|0}} Mark VII guns]] positioned in the superstructure.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', pp. 81–84</ref> She mounted two submerged [[torpedo tube|tubes]] for [[British 18 inch torpedo|18-inch torpedoes]], one on each side aft of 'X' barbette, and 12 torpedoes were carried.<ref name=c4>Campbell, ''Battle Cruisers'', p. 14</ref>

The ''Indefatigable''s were protected by a [[waterline]] {{convert|4|-|6|in|adj=on|0}} [[armoured belt]] that extended between and covered the end [[barbette]]s. Their armoured [[deck (ship)|deck]] ranged in thickness between {{convert|1.5|and|2.5|in}} with the thickest portions protecting the steering gear in the stern. The [[main battery]] turret faces were {{convert|7|in|0}} thick, and the turrets were supported by barbettes of the same thickness.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', p. 112</ref>

''Australia''{{'}}s 'A' turret was fitted with a {{convert|9|ft|adj=on}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]] at the rear of the turret roof. It was also equipped to control the entire main armament, in case normal fire control positions were knocked out or rendered inoperable.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', pp. 90–91</ref>

===Modifications===
''Australia'' received a single [[QF 3-inch 20 cwt|QF {{convert|3|in|adj=on|0}} 20 cwt]] [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] (AA) gun on a high-angle Mark II mount that was added in March 1915.<ref name=c3/> This had a maximum depression of 10° and a maximum elevation of 90°. It fired a {{convert|12.5|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2500|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} at a rate of fire of 12–14 rounds per minute. It had a maximum effective ceiling of {{convert|23500|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>''British 12-pdr (3"/45 (76.2&nbsp;cm)) 20cwt QF HA Marks I, II, III and IV'', Navweapons.com</ref> It was provided with 500 rounds. The 4-inch guns were enclosed in [[casemate]]s and given blast shields during a refit in November 1915 to better protect the gun crews from weather and enemy action, and two aft guns were removed at the same time.<ref name=c3>Campbell, ''Battle Cruisers'', p. 13</ref> An additional 4-inch gun was fitted during 1917 as an AA gun. It was mounted on a Mark II high-angle mounting with a maximum elevation of 60°. It had a reduced propellant charge with a muzzle velocity of only {{convert|2864|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}};<ref name=nav>''British 4"/50 (10.2&nbsp;cm) BL Mark VII'', Navweapons.com</ref> 100 rounds were carried for it.<ref name=c3/>

[[File:ATurretHMASAustralia1918.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A twin-barrelled gun turret on a large warship, photographed by someone standing near the bow. Anchor chains are in the foreground, and the superstructure of the ship can be seen behind the turret.|''Australia''{{'}}s forward turret ('A') in 1918; note the port (i.e. left-side) wing turret in the background with a biplane on its roof]]
''Australia'' received a [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control director]] sometime between mid-1915 and May 1916; this centralised fire control under the director officer, who now fired the guns. The turret crewmen merely had to follow pointers transmitted from the director to align their guns on the target. This greatly increased accuracy, as it was easier to spot the fall of shells and eliminated the problem of the ship's roll dispersing the shells when each turret fired independently.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', pp. 92–93</ref> ''Australia'' was also fitted with an additional inch of armour around the midships turrets following the Battle of Jutland.<ref name="Jones_57"/>

By 1918, ''Australia'' carried a [[Sopwith Pup]] and a [[Sopwith 1½ Strutter]] on platforms fitted to the top of 'P' and 'Q' turrets. The first flying off by a 1½ Strutter was from ''Australia''{{'}}s 'Q' turret on 4 April 1918.<ref name=c4/> Each platform had a canvas hangar to protect the aircraft during inclement weather.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', p. 92</ref> At the end of World War I, ''Australia'' was described as "the least obsolescent of her class".<ref name=Jose284>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 284</ref>

After the war, both anti-aircraft guns were replaced by a pair of [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF 4-inch Mark V guns]] on manually operated high-angle mounts in January 1920. Their elevation limits were −5° to 80°. The guns fired a {{convert|31|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a muzzle velocity of {{convert|2387|ft/s|m/s|abbr=on}} at a rate of fire of 10–15 rounds per minute. They had a maximum effective ceiling of {{convert|28750|ft|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>''Britain 4"/45 (10.2&nbsp;cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV'', Navweapons.com</ref>

==Acquisition and construction==
[[File:HMASAustraliaOnDeliveryInUK1913.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Photograph of a large warship. Along the bottom edge of the photograph, the phrases "HMAS AUSTRALIA" and "BUILT FOR THE AUSTRALIAN NAVY" are written in white. A sailboat and distant land can be seen in the left part of the photo.|HMAS ''Australia'' on delivery in the UK in 1913]]
At the start of the 20th century, the [[British Admiralty]] maintained that naval defence of the [[British Empire]], including the [[Dominion]]s, should be unified under the Royal Navy.<ref>Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p. 71</ref> Attitudes on this matter softened during the first decade, and at the 1909 Imperial Conference, the Admiralty proposed the creation of 'Fleet Units': forces consisting of a battlecruiser, three light cruisers, six destroyers, and three submarines.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', pp. 168–169</ref><ref name=Lambert64>Lambert, in Nielson & Kennedy, ''Far Flung Lines'', p. 64</ref> Although some were to be operated by the Royal Navy at distant bases, particularly in the Far East, the Dominions were encouraged to purchase fleet units to serve as the core of new national navies: Australia and Canada were both encouraged to do so at earliest opportunity, New Zealand was asked to partially subsidise a fleet unit for the [[China Station]], and there were plans for South Africa to fund one at a future point.<ref>Lambert, in Nielson & Kennedy, ''Far Flung Lines'', pp. 64–65</ref> Each fleet unit was designed as a "navy in miniature", and would operate under the control of the purchasing Dominion during peacetime.<ref name=Lambert64/> In the event of widespread conflict, the fleet units would come under Admiralty control, and would be merged to form larger fleets for regional defence.<ref name=Lambert64/> Australia was the only Dominion to purchase a full fleet unit, and while the New Zealand-funded battlecruiser was donated to the Royal Navy outright, no other nation purchased ships under the fleet unit plan.<ref name="b1"/><ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', p. 29</ref>

On 9 December 1909, a cable was sent by [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]] [[William Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley|Lord Dudley]] to the [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]], [[Robert Crewe-Milnes, 1st Marquess of Crewe|The Earl of Crewe]], requesting that construction of three {{sclass2|Town|cruiser (1910)|4}} cruisers and an ''Indefatigable''-class battlecruiser start at earliest opportunity.<ref name=Frame92>Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p. 92</ref> It is unclear why this design was selected, given that it was known to be inferior to the battlecruisers entering service with the [[German Imperial Navy]] (''Kaiserliche Marine''). Historian John Roberts has suggested that the request may have been attributable to the Royal Navy's practice of using small battleships and large cruisers as flagships of stations far from Britain, or it might have reflected the preferences of the [[First Sea Lord]] and Admiral of the Fleet [[John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher|John Fisher]], preferences not widely shared.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', pp. 29–31</ref>

The Australian Government decided on the name ''Australia'', as this would avoid claims of favouritism or association with a particular state.<ref name=Frame92/><ref name=StevensNN172>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 172</ref> The [[ship's badge]] depicted the [[Federation Star]] overlaid by a [[naval crown]], and her motto was "Endeavour", reflecting both an idealisation of Australians' national spirit and attitude, and a connection to [[James Cook]] and [[HM Bark Endeavour|HM Bark ''Endeavour'']].<ref name=StevensNN172/> On 6 May 1910, [[George Reid]], Australia's [[List of Australian High Commissioners to the United Kingdom|high commissioner to the United Kingdom]], sent a telegram cable to the Australian Government suggesting that the ship be named after the newly crowned [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]], but this was rebuffed.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', pp. 171–172</ref>

Bids for construction were forwarded to the Australian Government by Reid on 7 March 1910, and Prime Minister [[Alfred Deakin]] approved the submission by [[John Brown & Company]] to construct the hull and machinery, with separate contracts awarded to [[Armstrong Whitworth|Armstrong]] and [[Vickers]] for the battlecruiser's armament.<ref name=StevensNN171>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 171</ref> The total cost of construction was set at £2&nbsp;million.<ref name=StevensNN171/> Contracts were signed between the Admiralty and the builders to avoid the problems of distant supervision by the Australian Government, and a close watch on proceedings was maintained by Reid and Captain [[Francis Haworth-Booth]], the Australian Naval Representative in London.<ref name=StevensNN171/>

''Australia''{{'}}s [[keel]] was laid at John Brown & Company's Clydebank yard on 23 June 1910, and was assigned the yard number 402.<ref name=Bastock34>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 34</ref><ref>''HMAS Australia built by John Brown Clydebank'', Clydebuilt Ships Database</ref> The ship was launched by Lady Reid on 25 October 1911, in a ceremony which received extensive media coverage.<ref name="StevensNN172"/> ''Australia''{{'}}s design was altered during construction to incorporate improvements in technology, including the newly developed nickel-steel armour plate.<ref name=StevensNN173/><ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', p. 102</ref> While it was intended that the entire ship be fitted with the new armour, manufacturing problems meant that older armour had to be used in some sections: the delay in sourcing the older armour plates set construction back half a year.<ref name=StevensNN173/> Despite this, John Brown & Company delivered the ship £295,000 under budget.<ref name=StevensNN173>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 173</ref>

During construction, First Lord of the Admiralty [[Winston Churchill]] attempted to arrange for ''Australia'' to remain in British waters on completion.<ref name=OxCom299>Dennis et al., ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History'', p. 299</ref> Although the claim was made on strategic grounds, the reasoning behind it was so the Australian-funded ship could replace one to be purchased with British defence funds.<ref name=OxCom299/> This plan was successfully resisted by Admiral [[George King-Hall]], then Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy's [[Australia Squadron]].<ref name=OxCom299/>

''Australia'' sailed for [[Devonport, Devon]] in mid-February 1913 to begin her [[Sea trial|acceptance trials]].<ref name=StevensNN173/> Testing of the guns, torpedoes, and machinery was successful, but it was discovered that two hull plates had been damaged during the launch, requiring the battlecruiser to dock for repairs.<ref name=StevensNN173/> ''Australia'' was commissioned into the RAN at [[Portsmouth]] on 21 June 1913.<ref name=StevensNN173/> Two days later, Rear Admiral [[George Edwin Patey|George Patey]], the first [[Rear Admiral Commanding Australian Fleet]], raised his [[flag officer|flag]] aboard ''Australia''.<ref name=Stevens24>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 24</ref>

At launch, the standard ship's company was 820, over half of which were Royal Navy personnel; the other half was made up of Australian-born RAN personnel, or Britons transferring from the Royal Navy to the RAN.<ref name=Stevens25>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 25</ref> Accommodation areas were crowded, with each man having only {{convert|14|in|cm}} of space to sling his hammock when ''Australia'' was fully manned.<ref name=Frame_Baker68/> Moreover, the ventilation system was designed for conditions in Europe, and was inadequate for the climate in and around Australia.<ref name=Frame_Baker68>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 68</ref> On delivery, ''Australia'' was the largest warship in the Southern Hemisphere.<ref name=Frame97>Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p. 97</ref>

==Operational history==

===Voyage to Australia===
Following her commissioning, ''Australia'' hosted several official events. On 30 June, [[George V of the United Kingdom|King George V]] and [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward]], Prince of Wales, visited ''Australia'' to farewell the ship.<ref name=Bastock34/><ref name=Ruger179>Rüger, ''Nation, Empire and Navy'', p. 179</ref> During this visit, King George knighted Patey on the ship's quarterdeck—the first time a naval officer was knighted aboard a warship since [[Francis Drake]].<ref name=Stevens25/><ref name=Ruger180>Rüger, ''Nation, Empire and Navy'', p. 180</ref> On 1 July, Patey hosted a luncheon which was attended by imperial dignitaries, including Reid, the [[Agent-General|Agents-General]] of the Australian states, First Lord of the Admiralty [[Winston Churchill]], Secretary of State for the Colonies [[Lewis Vernon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt|Lewis Harcourt]], and the [[High Commissioner (Commonwealth)|High Commissioners]] of other British Dominions.<ref name=StevensNN174>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'' p. 174</ref> That afternoon, 600 Australian expatriates were invited to a ceremonial farewelling, and were entertained by shows and fireworks.<ref name=Ruger180/> Journalists and cinematographers were allowed aboard to report on ''Australia'' prior to her departure, and an official reporter was embarked for the voyage to Australia: his role was to promote the ship as a symbol of the bond between Australia and the United Kingdom.<ref name=Ruger180/>{{efn-ua| Only 25 per cent of the crew were Australian born on the first voyage to Australia. More were to join when the ship arrived in Australia.<ref>Halder, ''Mutineers'', p. 12</ref>}}

[[File:HMAS Australia Sydney Oct 1913.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A World War I-era warship with tents erected over the fore and aft decks and flying flags from her rigging. Other warships, a small fortress and land are visible behind the ship and several small boats are visible in the foreground.|''Australia'', ''Sydney'', and ''Melbourne'' shortly after the Australian fleet unit's first entry into Sydney Harbour. The near ship's [[torpedo net]] supports are visible along the hull.]]
''Australia'' was escorted by the light cruiser {{HMAS|Sydney|1912|6}} during the voyage to Australia.<ref name=Stevens25/> On 25 July, the two ships left England for South Africa: the visit was part of an agreement between the Prime Ministers of Australia and South Africa to promote the link between the two nations, along with the nations' links to the rest of the British Empire.<ref name=Stevens25/><ref>Rüger, ''Nation, Empire and Navy'', pp. 180–182</ref> The two ships were anchored in [[Table Bay]] from 18 to 26 August, during which the ships' companies participated in parades and receptions, while tens of thousands of people came to observe the ships.<ref name=Ruger181>Rüger, ''Nation, Empire and Navy'', p. 181</ref> The two ships also visited [[Simon's Town]], while ''Australia'' additionally called into [[Durban]].<ref name=Stevens25/><ref>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 175</ref> No other major ports were visited on the voyage, and the warships were instructed to avoid all major Australian ports.<ref name=Stevens25/>

''Australia'' and ''Sydney'' reached [[Jervis Bay]] on 2 October, where they rendezvoused with the rest of the RAN fleet (the cruisers {{HMAS|Encounter|1902|2}} and {{HMAS|Melbourne|1912|2}}, and the destroyers {{HMAS|Parramatta|D55|2}}, {{HMAS|Warrego|D70|2}}, and {{HMAS|Yarra|D79|2}}).<ref name=Stevens25/> The seven warships prepared for a formal fleet entry into Sydney Harbour.<ref name=Stevens25/> On 4 October, ''Australia'' led the fleet into Sydney Harbour, where responsibility for Australian naval defence was passed from the Royal Navy's Australia Squadron, commanded by King-Hall aboard [[HMS Cambrian (1893)|HMS ''Cambrian'']], to the RAN, commanded by Patey aboard ''Australia''.<ref name="Frame97"/>

===Early service===
In her first year of service, ''Australia'' visited as many major Australian ports as possible, to expose the new navy to the widest possible audience and induce feelings of nationhood: naval historian David Stevens claims that these visits did more to break down state rivalries and promote the unity of Australia as a federated commonwealth than any other event.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 179</ref> During late 1913, footage for the film ''[[Sea Dogs of Australia]]'' was filmed aboard the battlecruiser; the film was withdrawn almost immediately after first screening in August 1914 because of security concerns.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', pp. 32–33</ref>

[[File:StateLibQld 1 142231 Australia (ship).jpg|thumb|right|alt=A large warship at anchor in calm waters. Black smoke is being emitted by the foremost exhaust funnel, and is obscuring the ship's forward masts|''Australia'' at anchor in Queensland waters]]
During July 1914, ''Australia'' and other units of the RAN fleet were on a training cruise in Queensland waters.<ref name=Stevens30>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 30</ref> On 27 July, the [[Australian Commonwealth Naval Board]] learnt through press telegrams that the British Admiralty thought that there would be imminent and widespread war in Europe following the [[July Crisis]], and had begun to position its fleets as a precaution.<ref name=Stevens30/><ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 2–3</ref> Three days later, the Board learnt that the official warning telegram had been sent: at 22:30, ''Australia'' was recalled to Sydney to take on coal and stores.<ref name=Stevens30/><ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 3</ref>

On 3 August, the RAN was placed under Admiralty control.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', pgs. 30, 32</ref> Orders for RAN warships were prepared over the next few days: ''Australia'' was assigned to the concentration of British naval power on the [[China Station]], but was allowed to seek out and destroy any armoured warships (particularly those of the German [[East Asia Squadron]]) in the [[Australian Station]] before doing so.<ref name=Stevens32>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 32</ref> Vice Admiral [[Maximilian von Spee]], commander of the German squadron, was aware of ''Australia''{{'}}s presence in the region and her superiority to his entire force; the German admiral's plan was to harass British shipping and colonies in the Pacific until the presence of ''Australia'' and the China Squadron forced his fleet to relocate to other seas.<ref name=Stevens33>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 33</ref><ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 24–25</ref>

===World War I===

====Securing local waters====
The British Empire declared war on Germany on 5 August, and the RAN swung into action.<ref name=Stevens32/> ''Australia'' had departed Sydney the night before, and was heading north to rendezvous with other RAN vessels south of [[German New Guinea]].<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 9–10</ref> The German colonial capital of [[Rabaul]] was considered a likely base of operations for von Spee, and Patey put together a plan to clear the harbour.<ref name=Stevens32/> ''Australia''{{'}}s role was to hang back: if the armoured cruisers {{SMS|Scharnhorst}} and {{SMS|Gneisenau}} were present, the other RAN vessels would lure them into range of the battlecruiser.<ref name=Stevens32/> The night-time operation was executed on 11 August, and no German ships were found in the harbour.<ref name=Stevens32/> Over the next two days, ''Australia'' and the other ships unsuccessfully searched the nearby bays and coastline for the German ships and any wireless stations, before returning to Port Moresby to refuel.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 13–14</ref>

In late August, ''Australia'' and {{HMAS|Melbourne|1912|2}} escorted a New Zealand [[Occupation of German Samoa|occupation force]] to [[German Samoa]].<ref name=Bastock35>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 35</ref> Patey believed that the German fleet was likely to be in the eastern Pacific, and Samoa would be a logical move.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 51</ref> Providing protection for the New Zealand troopships was a beneficial coincidence, although the timing could have been better, as an Australian expedition to [[Occupation of German New Guinea|occupy German New Guinea]] departed from Sydney a few days after the New Zealand force left home waters—''Australia'' was expected to support both, but Patey only learned of the expeditions after they had commenced their journeys.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 50–55</ref> The battlecruiser left Port Moresby on 17 August and was met by ''Melbourne'' en route on 20 August.<ref name=Jose59/> The next day, they reached Nouméa and the New Zealand occupation force, consisting of the troopships ''Moeraki'' and ''Monowai'', the French cruiser {{ship|French armoured cruiser|Montcalm||2}}, and three {{sclass|Pelorus|cruiser|2}}s.<ref name=Jose59>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 59</ref> The grounding of ''Monowai'' delayed the expedition's departure until 23 August; the ships reached [[Suva|Suva, Fiji]] on 26 August, and arrived off [[Apia]] early in the morning of 30 August.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 60</ref> The city surrendered without a fight, freeing ''Australia'' and ''Melbourne'' to depart at noon on 31 August to meet the Australian force bound for Rabaul.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 60–61</ref>

[[File:Aust fleet Rabaul (AWM J03326).jpg|thumb|left|alt=A line of four ships underway: the rightmost ship is the closest to the camera, while the leftmost ship is very distant. A landmass stretches along the horizon, behind the ships.|''Australia'' leading the ships of the [[Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force]] into Rabaul Harbour on 12 September 1914]]
The [[Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force|Australian invasion force]] had mustered off the [[Louisiade Archipelago]] by 9 September; the assembled ships included ''Australia'', the cruisers {{HMAS|Sydney|1912|2}}, and {{HMAS|Encounter|1902|2}}, the destroyers {{HMAS|Parramatta|D55|2}}, {{HMAS|Warrego|D70|2}}, and {{HMAS|Yarra|D79|2}}, the submarines {{HMAS|AE1||2}} and {{HMAS|AE2||2}}, the auxiliary cruiser {{HMAS|Berrima}}, the storeship {{SS|Aorangi|1893|6}}, three [[Collier (ship type)|colliers]] and an oiler.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 78</ref> The force sailed north, and at 06:00 on 11 September, ''Australia'' deployed two [[picket boat]]s to secure [[Karavia Bay]] for the expeditionary force's transports and supply ships.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 81</ref> Later that day, ''Australia'' captured the German steamer ''Sumatra'' off Cape Tawui.<ref name=Bastock35/><ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 544</ref> After this, the battlecruiser stood off, in case she was required to shell one of the two wireless stations the occupation force was attempting to capture.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 90</ref> The German colony was captured, and on 15 September, ''Australia'' departed for Sydney.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 93–94</ref>

====Pursuit of von Spee====
The presence of ''Australia'' around the former German colonies, combined with the likelihood of Japan declaring war on Germany, prompted von Spee to withdraw his ships from the region.<ref name=Jose29/> On 13 August, the East Asia Squadron—except for {{SMS|Emden|1908|6}}, which was sent to prey on British shipping in the Indian Ocean—had begun to move eastwards.<ref name=Jose29>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 29</ref> After appearing off Samoa on 14 September, then [[Bombardment of Papeete|attacking Tahiti]] eight days later, von Spee led his force to South America, and from there planned to sail for the Atlantic.<ref name=Stevens36>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 36</ref> Patey was ordered on 17 September to head back north with ''Australia'' and ''Sydney'' to protect the Australian expeditionary force.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 100</ref> On 1 October, ''Australia'', ''Sydney'', ''Montcalm'', and ''Encounter'' headed north from Rabaul to find the German ships, but turned around to return at midnight, after receiving an Admiralty message about the Tahiti attack.<ref name=Jose103.4>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 103–104</ref> Although Patey suspected that the Germans were heading for South America and wanted to follow with ''Australia'', the Admiralty was unsure that the intelligence was accurate, and tasked the battlecruiser with patrolling around Fiji in case they returned.<ref name=Stevens36/><ref name=Jose103.4/> ''Australia'' reached Suva on 12 October, and spent the next four weeks patrolling the waters around Fiji, Samoa, and New Caledonia: despite Patey's desires to range out further, Admiralty orders kept him chained to Suva until early November.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 121–124</ref>

As Patey predicted, von Spee had continued east, and it was not until his force inflicted the first defeat on the Royal Navy in 100 years at the [[Battle of Coronel]] that ''Australia'' was allowed to pursue.<ref name=Stevens36/> Departing on 8 November, the battlecruiser replenished coal from a pre-positioned collier on 14 November, and reached Chamela Bay (near [[Manzanillo, Mexico]]) 12 days later.<ref name=Jose125>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 125</ref> Patey was made commander of a multinational squadron tasked with preventing the German squadron from sailing north to Canadian waters, or following them if they attempted to enter the Atlantic via the [[Panama Canal]] or around [[Cape Horn]]. Patey's ships included ''Australia'', the British light cruiser {{HMS|Newcastle|1909|6}} and the Japanese cruisers {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Izumo||2}}, {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Asama||2}}, and the ex-Russian battleship [[Russian battleship Retvizan|''Hizen'']].<ref name=Jose125/> The ships made for the [[Galapagos Islands]], which were searched from 4 to 6 December.<ref name=Jose126>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 126</ref> After finding no trace of von Spee's force, the Admiralty ordered Patey to investigate the South American coast from [[Perlas Island]] down to the [[Gulf of Guayaquil]].<ref name=Jose126/> The German squadron had sailed for the Atlantic via [[Cape Horn]], and was defeated by a British fleet after [[Battle of the Falkland Islands|attempting to raid the Falkland Islands]] on 8 December.<ref name=Stevens37>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 37</ref> Patey's squadron learned of this 10 December, while off the [[Gulf of Panama]]; ''Australia''{{'}}s personnel were disappointed that they did not have the chance to take on ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau''.<ref name=Jose126/> Nevertheless, the battlecruiser's presence in the Pacific during 1914 had provided an important counter to the German armoured cruisers, and enabled the RAN to participate in the Admiralty's global strategy. Moreover, it is unlikely that the attack on Rabaul would have gone ahead had ''Australia'' not been available to protect the landing force.<ref name="Jones_57">Jones, ''A Fall From Favour'', p. 57</ref>

====North Sea operations====
As the threat of a German naval attack had been removed by the destruction of the East Asia Squadron, ''Australia'' was free for deployment elsewhere.<ref name=Bastock35/><ref name=Jose127>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 127</ref> Initially, the battlecruiser was to serve as flagship of the [[North America and West Indies Station|West Indies Squadron]], with the task of pursuing and destroying any German vessels that evaded [[North Sea]] blockades.<ref name=Jose262>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 262</ref> ''Australia'' was ordered to sail to Jamaica via the [[Panama Canal]], but as it was closed to heavy shipping, she was forced to sail down the coast of South America and pass through the [[Strait of Magellan]] during 31 December 1914 and 1 January 1915—''Australia'' is the only ship of the RAN to cross from the Pacific to the Atlantic by sailing under South America.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 127–128</ref><ref>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', pgs. 35, 38</ref> During the crossing, one of the warship's propellers was damaged, and she had to limp to the [[Falkland Islands]] at half speed.<ref name=Jose128>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 128</ref> Temporary repairs were made, and ''Australia'' departed on 5 January.<ref name=Jose128/> A vessel well clear of the usual shipping routes was spotted on the afternoon of the next day, and the battlecruiser attempted to pursue, but was hampered by the damaged propeller.<ref name=Stevens37/><ref name=Jose128/> Unable to close the gap before sunset, a warning shot was fired from 'A' turret, which caused the ship—the former German passenger liner, now naval auxiliary ''Eleonora Woermann''—to stop and be captured.<ref name=Stevens37/><ref name=Jose128/> As ''Australia'' could not spare enough personnel to secure and operate the merchant ship, and ''Eleonora Woermann'' was too slow to keep pace with the battlecruiser, the German crew were taken aboard and the ship was sunk.<ref name=Stevens37/><ref name=Jose128/>

[[File:HMAS Australia Feb 1915.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Side view of a large warship with three funnels and two large masts. The ship is stationary, with smoke coming out of the middle and rear funnels.|''Australia'' in the [[Firth of Forth]] during February 1915]]
Following the [[Battle of Dogger Bank (1915)|Battle of Dogger Bank]], the Admiralty saw the need for dedicated battlecruiser squadrons in British waters, and earmarked ''Australia'' to lead one of them.<ref name=Jose262/> On 11 January, while en route to Jamaica, ''Australia'' was diverted to [[Gibraltar]].<ref name=Jose128/> Reaching there on 20 January, the battlecruiser was ordered to proceed to Plymouth, where she arrived on 28 January and paid off for a short refit.<ref name=Jose128/><ref name=Roberts123/> The docking was completed on 12 February, and ''Australia'' reached [[Rosyth]] on 17 February after sailing through a gale.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 263–264</ref> She was made flagship of the [[2nd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|2nd Battlecruiser Squadron]] (2nd BCS) of the Battlecruiser Fleet, part of the British [[Grand Fleet]],<ref name=Stevens37/> on 22 February. Vice Admiral Patey was appointed to command this squadron.<ref name=Stevens37/><ref name=Roberts123/> In early March, to avoid a conflict of seniority between Patey and the leader of the Battlecruiser Fleet, Vice Admiral [[David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty|David Beatty]], Patey was reassigned to the West Indies, and Rear Admiral [[William Christopher Pakenham|William Pakenham]] raised his flag aboard ''Australia''.<ref name=Stevens37/> British and Allied ships deployed to the North Sea were tasked with protecting the British Isles from German naval attack, and keeping the [[German High Seas Fleet]] penned in European waters through a [[distant blockade]] while trying to lure them into a decisive battle.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 264–267</ref> During her time with the 2nd BCS, ''Australia''{{'}}s operations primarily consisted of training exercises (either in isolation or with other ships), patrols of the North Sea area in response to actual or perceived German movements, and some escort work.<ref name=Stevens37/><ref name=Jose264>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 264</ref> These duties were so monotonous, one sailor was driven insane.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Navy and the Nation'', pp. 167–168</ref>

Soon after its arrival in the United Kingdom there were 259 cases of respiratory illness as the crew were not used to the colder weather. A subsequent measles epidemic in June 1915 forced the Admiralty to conclude that the ship's doctors lacked expertise in ship hygiene, which forced them to appoint a senior fleet surgeon to assist in improving conditions on the ship.<ref>Halder, ''Mutineers'', p. 24</ref>

''Australia'' joined the Grand Fleet in a sortie on 29 March, in response to intelligence that the German fleet was leaving port as the precursor to a major operation.<ref name=Jose269>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 269</ref> By the next night, the German ships had withdrawn, and ''Australia'' returned to Rosyth.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 269–270</ref> On 11 April, the British fleet was again deployed on the intelligence that a German force was planning an operation.<ref name=Jose270>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 270</ref> The Germans intended to lay [[Sea mine|mines]] at the [[Swarte Bank]], but after a scouting [[Zeppelin]] located a British light cruiser squadron, they began to prepare for what they thought was a British attack.<ref name=Jose270/> Heavy fog and the need to refuel caused ''Australia'' and the British vessels to return to port on 17 August, and although they were redeployed that night, they were unable to stop two German light cruisers from laying the minefield.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 270–271</ref> From 26 to 28 January 1916, the 2nd BCS was positioned off the [[Skagerrak]] while the [[1st Light Cruiser Squadron]] swept the strait in an unsuccessful search of a possible minelayer.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 271</ref>

[[File:Australia Forth Bridge.jpg|thumb|upright|left|alt=Photograph looking down on a large warship. The ship is travelling at speed, and is about to lead two or three other large vessels under the photographer.|''Australia'' leading a line of ships under the [[Forth Railway Bridge|Forth Bridge]]]]

====Collison with HMS ''New Zealand''====
On the morning of 21 April 1916, the 2nd BCS left Rosyth at 04:00 (accompanied by the 4th Light Cruiser Squadron and destroyers) again bound for the Skagerrak, this time to support efforts to disrupt the transport of Swedish ore to Germany.<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 272</ref><ref name=Ross>Ross, ''Battle Cruisers in Collision''</ref>

The planned destroyer sweep of the [[Kattegat]] was cancelled when word came that the High Seas Fleet was mobilizing for an operation of their own (later learned to be timed to coincide with the Irish [[Easter Rising]]), and the British ships were ordered to a rendezvous point in the middle of the North Sea, with the 1st and 3rd Battlecruiser Squadrons while the rest of the Grand Fleet made for the south-eastern end of the [[Long Forties]].<ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 272–273</ref>

At 15:30 on the afternoon of 22 April, the three squadrons of battlecruisers were patrolling together to the north-west of [[Horn Reefs]] when heavy fog came down, while the ships were steaming abreast at 19.5 knots, with ''Australia'' on the port flank.<ref name=Jose274>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 274</ref><ref name=PelvinPg23>Pelvin, ''The Battlecruiser Australia (1911)'', p. 23</ref><ref name=Ross/> Concerned about possible submarine attack Beatty issued instructions at 15:35 for the fleet to commence zigzagging. It took some time for the instruction to be relayed by signal flag down the line and so it wasn't until 15:40 that ''Australia'' with a cruiser to her port side commenced her first zigzag and swung to starboard.<ref name=Ross/> The crew were aware that ''New Zealand'' was on that side about five cables (926 metres) away but the poor visibility meant that as they made their turn they didn't see her until it was too late and they hit at 15:43, despite ''Australia'' attempting to turn away to port.<ref name= PelvinPg23/> ''Australia''{{'}}s side was torn open from frames 59 to 78 by the armour plate on the hull below her sister ships P-turret, while as ''New Zealand'' turned away her outer port propeller damaged ''Australia''{{'}}s hull below her Q-turret.<ref>Jose, pp. 272–274</ref><ref>Wright, ‘‘The Battlecruiser New Zealand: A Gift to Empire’’, p. 153-154</ref>

''Australia'' slowed to half-speed as the mist hid her sister ship, but the damage to ''New Zealand''{{'}}s propeller caused a temporary loss of control and she swung back in front of ''Australia'' which despite turning to port, had her [[Stem (ship)|stem]] crushed at 15:46 as she scraped the side of ''New Zealand'', just behind her P-turret.<ref name= PelvinPg23/><ref name=Stevens37/><ref name=Jose274/> Procedural errors were found to be the cause of the collisions.<ref name=Roberts123/><ref name=Stevens38>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 38</ref> Both ships to come to a complete stop about {{convert|30|-|40|yd|m|abbr=on}} apart while their respective officers assessed the damage. The damage control teams on the ''Australia'' were soon busy shoring up bulkheads and sealing off the damaged portions to prevent any more water entering the ship. Meanwhile off watch Australian sailors took advantage of a convenient potato locker to hurl both its contents and insults at the crew of their nearby sister ship.<ref name= PelvinPg23/> ''New Zealand'' was soon underway, returning to Rosyth with the rest of the squadron.

The same fog caused the battleship ''[[HMS Neptune (1909)|Neptune]]'' to collide with a merchant ship and the destroyers ''[[HMS Ambuscade (1913)|Ambuscade]]'', ''[[HMS Ardent (1913)|Ardent]]'' and ''Garland'' to collide with one another.
Once it was safe to proceed ''Australia'' with her speed restricted to 12, and then later to 16 knots lagging behind the rest of the squadron, arrived back at Rosyth at 16:00 hours on the 23 April to find both drydocks occupied, one by ''New Zealand'' and the other by HMS ''Dreadnought'' so she departed at 21:00 hours on that same day for Newcastle-on-Tyne, where as she approached its floating dock<ref name=Jose274/> on the [[River Tyne]], on the 24 April the tugs were unable to keep her straight during strong winds and she hit the edge of the floating dock severely bending her port rudder and breaking both of her port propellers.<ref name=Ross/><ref name=Halder39-42>Halder, ''Mutineers'', p. 39-42</ref> As ''New Zealand'' had commandeered ''Australia''{{'}}s spare propeller (which was in store at Rosyth) to replaced her own damaged propeller, ''Indefatigable''{{'}}s spare port inner propeller was installed on ''Australia''{{'}}s port outer shaft and ''Invincible''{{'}}s port inner spare propeller was installed on the port inner shaft.<ref name=Ross/> As this facility couldn't handle these additional repairs ''Australia'' was ordered following replacement of the propellers and temporary repairs to her hull to proceed to [[Devonport, Devon]].<ref name=Jose274/>

''Australia'' was not able to depart Newcastle-on-Tyne until 13:30 on 1 May, and unknowingly streamed through a minefield to anchor in the Humber near the Nore Lightship. They departed on 3 May, and while anchoring overnight in [[Deal, Kent|Deal]] the crew witnessed an air raid on Deal Pier prior to the battlecruiser docking in Devonport at 13:00 on 6 May.<ref name=Ross/> While docked the ship was visited by Australian Prime Minister [[Billy Hughes]], accompanied by the Australian High Commissioner to Britain [[Andrew Fisher]] and Senator [[Allan McDougall]].<ref name= Halder39-42/> Following completion of repairs the battlecruiser departed Devonport at 11:00 on 31 May, sailing west about round Ireland<ref name= Halder39-42/> to arrive at Scapa Flow at 06:30 on 3 June<ref name=Ross/><ref>Naval Historical Society of Australia, ''Australian Naval History on 31 May 1916''</ref> and returned to Rosyth on 9 June, thus missing the [[Battle of Jutland]].<ref name=Jose274/><ref name=Roberts123/>

====Post-Jutland operations====
On the evening of 18 August, the Grand Fleet put to sea in response to a message deciphered by [[Room 40]], which indicated that the High Seas Fleet, minus II Squadron, would be leaving harbour that night. The German objective was to bombard [[Sunderland, Tyne and Wear|Sunderland]] on 19 August, with extensive reconnaissance provided by airships and submarines. The Grand Fleet sailed with 29 dreadnought battleships and 6 battlecruisers.{{efn-ua|While no sources explicitly state that ''Australia'' was part of the fleet at this time, of the seven Royal Navy battlecruisers then in commission, ''Indomitable'' was under refit through August and the only one unavailable for action.<ref>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', p. 122</ref>}} Throughout the next day, Jellicoe and Scheer received conflicting intelligence, with the result that having reached its rendezvous in the North Sea, the Grand Fleet steered north in the erroneous belief that it had entered a minefield before turning south again. Scheer steered south-eastward to pursue a lone British battle squadron sighted by an airship, which was in fact the [[Harwich Force]] under Commodore [[Reginald Tyrwhitt|Tyrwhitt]]. Having realised their mistake, the Germans changed course for home. The only contact came in the evening when Tyrwhitt sighted the High Seas Fleet but was unable to achieve an advantageous attack position before dark, and broke off. Both the British and German fleets returned home, with two British cruisers sunk by submarines and a German dreadnought battleship damaged by a torpedo.<ref>Marder, ''From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow'', vol. III, pp. 287–296</ref>

The year 1917 saw a continuation of the battlecruiser's routine of exercises and patrols into the North Sea, with few incidents. During this year ''Australia''{{'}}s activities were limited to training voyages between Rosyth and [[Scapa Flow]] and occasional patrols to the north-east of Britain in search of German raiders.<ref name=Jose279.81>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', pp. 279, 281</ref> In May, while preparing the warship for [[action stations]], a 12-inch shell became jammed in the shell hoist when its fuze became hooked onto a projection.<ref name=Jose279>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 279</ref> After the magazines were evacuated, [[Lieutenant-Commander]] F. C. Darley climbed down the hoist and successfully removed the fuze.<ref>Burt, ''British Battleships of World War One'', p. 104</ref> On 26 June, King George V visited the ship.<ref name=Jose279.81/> On 12 December, ''Australia'' was involved in a second collision, this time with the battlecruiser {{HMS|Repulse|1916|6}}.<ref name=Bastock35/><ref>Halder, ''Mutineers'', pp. 47–48</ref> Following this accident, she underwent three weeks of repairs from December 1917 until January 1918.<ref name=Bastock35/><ref name=Roberts123>Roberts, ''Battlecruisers'', p. 123</ref> During the repair period, ''Australia'' became the first RAN ship to launch an aircraft, when a [[Sopwith Pup]] took off from her quarterdeck on 18 December.<ref name=ANAM8>ANAM, ''Flying Stations'', p. 8</ref> On 30 December, ''Australia'' shelled a suspected submarine contact, the only time during her deployment with the 2nd BCS that she fired on the enemy.<ref name=Stevens37/>

[[File:An aeroplane leaving the deck of the Australia on a reconnaissance trip (13960807682).jpg|thumb|right|alt=A small biplane has just taken off from a warship, having used a platform built over the roof and barrels of a twin-barrelled turret. Sailors are observing the launch from the deck of the ship, and from a small boat nearby. A large warship is visible in the background.|A [[Sopwith 1½ Strutter]] launching from one of ''Australia''{{'}}s turrets]]
In February 1918, the call went out for volunteers to participate in a special mission to close the port of [[Zeebrugge Raid|Zeebrugge]] using [[blockship]]s.<ref name=Stevens51>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 51</ref> Although many aboard ''Australia'' volunteered their services in an attempt to escape the drudgery of North Sea patrols, only 11 personnel—10 sailors and an artificer engineer were selected for the raid, which occurred on 23 April.<ref name=Stevens51/><ref name=Jose281>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 281</ref> The artificer engineer was posted to the engine room of the requisitioned ferry {{HMS|Iris II||6}}.<ref name=Stevens52>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 52</ref> The other Australians were assigned to the boiler rooms of the blockship {{HMS|Thetis|1890|2}}, or as part of a storming party along the [[Mole (architecture)|mole]].<ref name=Stevens52/><ref name=Jose282>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 282</ref> All of the volunteers survived—''Australia'' was the only ship to have no casualties from the raid with one awarded the [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Cross]] (DSC), three the [[Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)|Distinguished Service Medal]] (DSM), while another three were [[mentioned in dispatches]].<ref name=Stevens52/><ref>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 593</ref>{{efn-ua| The 11 Australians who took part in the Zeebrugge and the medals they were awarded were Artificer Engineer William Edgar [DSC), Leading Stokers William Bourke, Reginald Hopkins, Godfrey Lockard, Norbert McCrory, James Strong; Leading Seaman Dalmorton Rudd DSM, George Bush DSM and Able Seamans Henry Gillard, Leopold Thomas Newland and George Edward Staples DSM.<ref name= Halder49-54>Halder, ''Mutineers'', pp. 49–54</ref> Gillard, Newland and McCrory were mentioned in dispatches. A twelfth man, Stoker John Walter Carter, was selected for the raid but was unable to participate due to illness.<ref>{{cite web |last1= Swinden |first1= Greg |last2= Perryman |first2= John |title= Australian Sailors at Zeebrugge |website= navy.gov.au |publisher= Royal Australian Navy |url= https://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/australian-sailors-zeebrugge |accessdate= 19 April 2023}}</ref> Edgar was assigned command of the engine room in HMS ''[[SS Royal Iris|Iris II]]'', while the five seamen were assigned to HMS ''[[HMS Vindictive (1897)|Vindictive]]'', and the five stokers to HMS ''[[HMS Thetis (1890)|Thetis]]''.<ref name=DHAAT>{{cite report |date= 2013 |title= The Report of the Inquiry Into Unresolved Recognition for Past Acts of Naval and Military Gallantry and Valour |url= https://defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Valour-Inquiry-Report.pdf|publisher= Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal |location= Canberra |chapter= Chapter Sixteen: Able Seaman Dalmorton Joseph Owendale Rudd |pages= 186–197 |access-date= 19 April 2023}}</ref> Bush, Gillard, Newland, Rudd and Staples unsuccessfully participated in a ballot by their peers for the award of a Victoria Cross (VC) to a Royal Navy rating.<ref name= DHAAT/><ref>{{cite web |title= Leading Seaman Dalmorton Joseph Owendale Rudd |website= navy.gov.au |publisher= Royal Australian Navy |url= https://www.navy.gov.au/biography/leading-seaman-dalmorton-joseph-owendale-rudd |accessdate= 19 April 2023}}</ref>}} The five sailors were listed in the ballot to receive a [[Victoria Cross]], but did not receive the award.<ref name= DHAAT/>

During 1918, ''Australia'' and the Grand Fleet's other capital ships on occasion escorted convoys travelling between Britain and Norway.<ref name=Jose279/> The 2nd BCS spent the period from 8 to 21 February covering these convoys in company with battleships and destroyers, and put to sea on 6 March in company with the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron to support [[minelayer]]s.<ref name=Jose303>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 303</ref> From 8 March on, the battlecruiser tested the capabilities of aircraft launched from platforms mounted over 'P' and 'Q' turrets.<ref name=ANAM8/> ''Australia'', along with the rest of the Grand Fleet, sortied on the afternoon of 23 March 1918 after radio transmissions had revealed that the High Seas Fleet was at sea after a failed attempt to intercept the regular British convoy to Norway. However, the Germans were too far ahead of the British and escaped without firing a shot.<ref>Massie, ''Castles of Steel'', p. 748</ref> The 2nd BCS sailed again on 25 April to support minelayers, then cover one of the Scandinavian convoys the next day.<ref name=Jose303/> Following the successful launch of a fully laden [[Sopwith 1½ Strutter]] scout plane on 14 May, ''Australia'' started carrying two aircraft—a Strutter for reconnaissance, and a [[Sopwith Camel]] fighter—and operated them until the end of the war.<ref name=Bastock35/><ref name=ANAM8/> The 2nd BCS again supported minelayers in the North Sea between 25–26 June and 29–30 July.<ref name=Jose303/> During September and October, ''Australia'' and the 2nd BCS supervised and protected minelaying operations north of [[Orkney]].<ref name=Jose282/>

====War's end====
When the [[Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)|armistice with Germany]] was signed on 11 November 1918 to end World War I, one of the conditions was that the [[German High Seas Fleet]] was to be interred at Scapa Flow.<ref name=Stevens52/> The German fleet crossed the North Sea, and on 21 November, the British Grand Fleet sailed out to meet it; ''Australia'' led the port division of the fleet.<ref name=Stevens52/> ''Australia'' then escorted the battlecruiser {{SMS|Hindenburg}} to Scapa Flow, and was assigned as the German vessel's guardship.<ref name=Stevens53>Stevens, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 53</ref> ''Australia'' subsequently formed part of the force which guarded the High Seas Fleet during late 1918 and early 1919, and spent much of her time either at anchor at Scapa Flow, or conducting patrols in the North Sea.<ref name=Frame_Baker99>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 99</ref> This monotonous duty contributed to low morale among some sections of the ship's crew.<ref name=Frame_Baker99/>

[[File:HMAS Australia crew group portrait Dec 1918.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A large number of men posing for a photo on the foredeck of a warship. Two of the ship's gun barrels are visible in the middle of the group.|Group portrait of ''Australia''{{'}}s ship's company in December 1918]]
After being formally farewelled by the Prince of Wales and First Sea Lord [[Rosslyn Wemyss, 1st Baron Wester Wemyss|Rosslyn Wemyss]] on 22 April 1919, ''Australia'' departed from Portsmouth for home the next day.<ref name=Jose334>Jose, ''The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918'', p. 334</ref> She sailed in company with {{HMAS|Brisbane|1915|6}} for the first part of the voyage, but the light cruiser later had to detach to tow the submarine {{HMAS|J5||2}}.<ref name=Jose334/> ''Australia'' arrived in Fremantle on 28 May 1919, the first time the ship had seen home waters in four and a half years.<ref name=Sears56>Sears, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 56</ref> Despite returning home, the battlecruiser remained under Admiralty control until 1 August 1919.<ref name=Sears57>Sears, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 57</ref>

''Australia'' was not awarded any official [[battle honours]], although personnel aboard the battlecruiser and [[HMAS Australia (D84)|her successor]] claimed the operations in the Pacific, the North Sea patrol duties, and the battlecruiser's presence at the surrender of the German High Seas Fleet as unofficial honours.<ref>Cassells, ''The Capital Ships'', pp. 18, 26</ref> Following a reorganisation of RAN battle honours in 2010, the honours "Rabaul 1914" and "North Sea 1915–18" were retroactively awarded on 1 March 2010.<ref name=newhonours>Royal Australian Navy, ''Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours''</ref><ref name=honourslist>Royal Australian Navy, ''Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours''</ref>

===Mutiny===
''Australia''{{'}}s ship's company had consistently suffered from low morale since the battlecruiser entered service, and the proportion of ''Australia''{{'}}s sailors who were placed on disciplinary charges during World War I was among the highest in the RAN.<ref name=FrameBaker97>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 97</ref> Many of the Australian sailors were chafing under the severity of naval discipline and what they saw as excessive punishment for minor breaches; one example was of a sailor who was charged with desertion, imprisoned for three months, and lost all pay for staying out too late on [[Armistice Day]]. Factors which contributed to low morale and poor discipline included frustration at not participating in the Battle of Jutland, high rates of illness, limited opportunities for leave, delays or complete lack of deferred pay, and poor-quality food. The continuation of strict wartime routines and discipline after the armistice frustrated the ship's crew. There was also the perception that ''Australia''{{'}}s British personnel were being promoted faster than their Australian counterparts and were dominating leadership positions.<ref name=FrameBaker98.9>Frame & Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 98–99</ref> The battlecruiser's arrival in Fremantle on 28 May was met with extensive hospitality, which was reciprocated where possible by the sailors with invitations and tours of their vessel.<ref name=BellEllerman131>Stevens, in Bell & Ellerman, ''Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century'', p. 131</ref> There were opportunities for shore leave, but these were limited as ''Australia'' was only in port for three days, and had to sail early on 1 June for Melbourne.<ref name=BellEllerman131/><ref name=FrameBaker100>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 100</ref>

[[File:HMAS Australia crew Sydney 1919.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A group of men wearing military uniforms and carrying rifles marching under a decorated arch. The group is being led by a man carrying a sword. They are being watched by other men in uniform and a crowd of civilians.|Personnel from ''Australia'' march down a decorated street in 1919, following the battlecruiser's return to Sydney]]
Representatives of the ship's company approached Captain [[Claude Lionel Cumberlege|Claude Cumberlege]] to ask for a one-day delay on departure; this would allow the sailors to have a full weekend of leave, give Perth-born personnel the chance to visit their families, and give personnel another chance to invite people aboard.<ref name=BellEllerman131/><ref name=FrameBaker100/> Cumberlege replied that as ''Australia'' had a tight schedule of "welcome home" port visits, such delays could not even be considered.<ref name=FrameBaker100/> The next morning, at around 10:30, between 80 and 100 sailors gathered in front of 'P' turret, some in working uniform, others who had just returned from shore leave still in libertyman rig.<ref name=BellEllerman131/> Cumberlege sent the executive officer to find out why the men had assembled, and on learning that they were repeating the previous day's request for a delay in departure, went down to address them. In a strict, legalistic tone, he informed the sailors that delaying ''Australia''{{'}}s departure was impossible, and ordered them to disperse. The group obeyed this order, although some were vocal in their displeasure.<ref name=FrameBaker101>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 101</ref> Shortly after, ''Australia'' was ready to depart, but when the order to release the [[Mooring (watercraft)|mooring lines]] and get underway was given, Cumberlege was informed that the [[stoker (occupation)|stokers]] had abandoned the boiler rooms.<ref name=FrameBaker102>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 102</ref> After the assembly on deck, some sailors had masked themselves with black handkerchiefs, and encouraged or intimidated the stokers on duty into leaving their posts, leaving the navy's flagship stranded at the buoy, in full view of dignitaries and crowds lining the nearby wharf.<ref name=FrameBaker102/><ref>Stevens, in Bell & Ellerman, ''Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century'', pp. 131–132</ref> The senior [[non-commissioned officer]]s, along with sailors drafted from other departments, were sent to the boiler room to get ''Australia'' moving, and departure from Fremantle was only delayed by an hour.<ref name=FrameBaker102/>

Australian naval historians David Stevens and [[Tom Frame (Bishop)|Tom Frame]] disagree on what happened next. Stevens states that Cumberledge assembled the ship's company in the early afternoon, read the [[Articles of War]], lectured them on the seriousness of refusing duty, then ordered the stokers to go to their stations, which they did meekly.<ref>Stevens, in Bell & Ellerman, ''Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century'', p. 132</ref> Frame claims the stokers returned to duty freely once the battlecruiser was underway, before Cumberledge cleared the lower deck and spoke to the sailors.<ref name=FrameBaker102/><ref name=Frame130>Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p. 130</ref> After addressing the sailors, Cumberledge gathered the ship's senior officers for an inquiry.<ref name=FrameBaker102/> Five men, including one of the Victoria Cross nominees from the Zeebrugge raid, were charged{{efn-ua| The five charged mutineers were Dalmorton Rudd DSM, his younger 18 year old brother Leonard "Lenny" Thomas Rudd, Willian McIntosh, Ken Paterson and Wilfred "Pitta" Thompson.<ref>Halder, ''Mutineers'', pp. 12, 13, 125</ref>}} with inciting a [[mutiny]] and arrested pending a [[court-martial]], which was held aboard {{HMAS|Encounter|1902|6}} on 20 June, after ''Australia'' arrived in Sydney.<ref name=BellEllerman133/><ref name=FrameBaker103/> The ruling was that the five men had "joined a mutiny, not accompanied by violence", and they were sentenced to imprisonment in [[Goulburn Gaol]]: two for a year, one for eighteen months, and two for two years with hard labour.<ref name=BellEllerman133/><ref>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', pp. 103–105</ref> A number of other sailors were charged with participating in a mutiny, but again, Stevens and Frame disagree on details: the former claims 7 men were successfully charged, while the latter says 32 sailors were subsequently acquitted of mutiny, but then successfully charged with refusing duty.<ref name=Frame130/><ref name=BellEllerman133>Stevens, in Bell & Ellerman, ''Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century'', p. 133</ref><ref name=FrameBaker103>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 103</ref> Both authors agree that these men were tried by the captain while ''Australia'' was still at sea, and punished with 90 days each in cells.<ref name=BellEllerman133/><ref name=FrameBaker103/>

Following the court-martial of the five ringleaders, there was debate among the public, in the media, and within government over the sentences; while most agreed that a mutiny had occurred, there were differences in opinion on the leniency or severity of the punishments imposed.<ref>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 105</ref> Public sympathy was with the sailors, and several politicians pressured the government and the Admiralty to [[pardon]] the men.<ref name=Sears56/><ref name=FrameBaker106>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 106</ref> The Admiralty thought the sentences were fair, but on 10 September announced that they would be halved on consideration of the sailors' youth.<ref name=Sears56/><ref name=FrameBaker106/> Despite this, controversy continued until 21 November: after the Australian government appealed directly to the Admiralty, it was agreed that the sailors would be released on 20 December.<ref name=Sears56/><ref name=FrameBaker107>Frame and Baker, ''Mutiny!'', p. 107</ref> However, the government had angered the [[Australian Commonwealth Naval Board|Naval Board]] in appealing to the Admiralty without consulting the Board first.<ref name=Sears56/><ref name=FrameBaker107/> The [[Chief of Navy (Australia)|First Naval Member]], Rear Admiral [[Percy Grant (Royal Navy officer)|Percy Grant]] and [[Commander Australian Fleet|Commander of the Fleet]], Commodore [[John Saumarez Dumaresq|John Dumaresq]], submitted their resignations in protest, as they felt the show of clemency would lead to a breakdown in discipline, and that if the government continued to communicate with the Admiralty without consulting the Board, it would undermine the Board's authority.<ref name=Sears56/><ref>Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', pp. 131–132</ref> The two officers were later convinced to withdraw their resignations after receiving assurances that Board would be consulted before all future government communications to Britain regarding the RAN, and that notices would be posted in all ships explaining that the sentences were correct, but the onset of peace had led to clemency in this particular case.<ref>Sears, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', pp. 56–57</ref><ref>Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p. 132</ref>

===Post-war===
In May 1920, ''Australia'' participated in celebrations and naval activities associated with the visit of the Prince of Wales.<ref name=StevensNN180>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 180</ref> From July to November 1920, an [[Avro 504]] floatplane of the [[Australian Air Corps]] was embarked aboard ''Australia'' as part of a series of trials intended to cumulate in the creation of a naval aviation branch.<ref>Dennis et al., ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History'', p. 53</ref><ref name=ANAM14>ANAM, ''Flying Stations'', p. 14</ref> The aircraft was stored on the quarterdeck next to 'Q' turret, and was deployed and recovered by derrick.<ref name=Bastock34/> Inter-service rivalry and the ship's reduction to non-seagoing status in September prevented further operations.<ref name=ANAM14/>

Following the demise of German naval power in the Pacific the fleet unit concept was no longer seen as being relevant, and ''Australia'' did not have a clear role.<ref name="Jones_58">Jones, ''A Fall From Favour'', p. 58</ref> As a result, post-war budget cuts prompted the RAN to take the battlecruiser out of active service, as the large share of resources and manpower consumed by ''Australia'' could be better used elsewhere in the RAN.<ref name=Sears65>Sears, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 65</ref> In August 1920 the battlecruiser was rated by the Naval Board as 11th out of the RAN's 12 priorities.<ref name="Jones_58"/> Accordingly, the ship's company was reduced later that year and she was assigned to [[Flinders Naval Depot]] as a gunnery and torpedo training ship.<ref name=StevensNN180/><ref name=Sears65/> In the event of a major conflict, ''Australia'' was to serve in a role akin to [[coastal artillery]].<ref name=Sears65/> She was not considered to have been placed in reserve at this time, however, as it was not possible for the RAN to provide a trained complement at short notice.<ref name="Jones_58"/>

==Decommissioning and fate==
''Australia'' returned to Sydney in November 1921, and was paid off into reserve in December.<ref name=StevensNN180/><ref name=Sears65/> By this time battlecruisers built before the Battle of Jutland were considered obsolete, and there is no record of the Admiralty suggesting that Australia purchase a replacement. Moreover, it is unlikely that the Australian Government would have agreed to such a suggestion given the prevailing political and financial conditions. As the Admiralty had decided to phase out 12-inch guns and had stopped the manufacture of shells for these weapons shortly after the war, it would have been necessary to replace ''Australia''{{'}}s main armament once the Navy's stock of shells reached their expiry date given that it was not possible to produce replacement shells in Australia. This was also not financially feasible for the government, particularly given the RAN's lack of interest in retaining the ship.<ref>Jones, ''A Fall From Favour'', pp. 58–60</ref>

The 1922 [[Washington Naval Treaty]] was a mutual [[Arms control|naval arms limitation]] and [[disarmament]] treaty between the five major naval powers of the time: the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Japan, Italy, and France.<ref name=Symbolic1>Kerr, ''A Loss More Symbolic Than Material?'', in ''Semaphore'', p. 1</ref> One of the main aspects of the treaty was the limitation on the number and size of capital ships each nation possessed; as the RAN was counted as part of the Royal Navy for the purposes of the treaty, ''Australia'' was one of the battlecruisers nominated for disposal to meet the British limit.<ref name=Symbolic1/> The battlecruiser had to be made unusable for warlike activities within six months of the treaty's ratification, then disposed of by [[scuttling]], as Australia did not have the facilities to [[Ship breaking|break her up for scrap]], and the British share of [[target ship]]s was taken up by Royal Navy vessels.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', pp. 180–182</ref> This was the only time the Australian military has been affected by a disarmament treaty<ref>Dennis et al., ''The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History'', p. 186</ref> until the 1997 [[Ottawa Treaty]] banning the use of [[anti-personnel mine]]s.<ref>''States Parties'', International Campaign to Ban Landmines</ref>

[[File:HMAS Australia Garden Island 1924.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A World War I-era warship tied up to a dock. The ship is in poor condition, and has streaks of rust on her hull.|''Australia'' alongside at [[Garden Island, New South Wales|Garden Island]] in 1924]]
When ''Australia'' was decommissioned in 1921, some of her equipment was removed for use in other ships, but after the November 1923 [[Cabinet of Australia|Cabinet]] decision confirming the scuttling, RAN personnel and private contractors began to remove piping and other small fittings.<ref name=StevensNN182>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 182</ref> Between November 1923 and January 1924, £68,000 of equipment was reclaimed; over half was donated to [[Tertiary education in Australia|tertiary education centres]] (some of which was still in use in the 1970s), while the rest was either marked for use in future warships, or sold as souvenirs.<ref name=StevensNN182/> Some consideration was given to reusing ''Australia''{{'}}s 12-inch guns in coastal fortifications, but this did not occur as ammunition for these weapons was no longer being manufactured by the British, and the cost of building suitable structures was excessive.<ref name=Sears65/><ref name="Jones_59">Jones, ''A Fall From Favour'', p.&nbsp;59</ref> It was instead decided to sink the gun turrets and spare barrels with the rest of the ship.<ref name="Jones_59"/> There was also a proposal to remove ''Australia''{{'}}s conning tower and install it on the Sydney Harbour foreshore; although this did not go ahead, the idea was later used when the foremast of {{HMAS|Sydney|1912|6}} was erected as a monument at [[Bradleys Head, New South Wales|Bradleys Head]].<ref>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', pp. 39–40</ref> The ship's outer port propeller is on display at the [[Australian War Memorial]], while other artefacts are in the collections of the War Memorial, the [[Australian National Maritime Museum]], and the [[Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre]].<ref>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', p. 40</ref>

[[File:StateLibQld 1 94060 Brisbane (ship).jpg|thumb|left|[[HMAS Brisbane (1915)|HMAS ''Brisbane'']] recovers the scuttling party from ''Australia'' shortly before the latter's sinking]]
The scuttling was originally scheduled for [[Anzac Day]] (25 April) 1924, but was brought forward to 12 April, so the visiting [[British Special Service Squadron]] could participate.<ref>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', pp. 182–183</ref> On the day of the sinking, ''Australia'' was towed out to a point {{convert|25|nmi}} northeast of [[Sydney Heads]].<ref name=Sears65/><ref name=Bastock38>Bastock, ''Australia's Ships of War'', p. 38</ref> Under the terms of the Washington Treaty, the battlecruiser needed to be sunk in water that was deep enough to make it infeasible to refloat her at a future date.<ref name="Jones_59" /> The former flagship was escorted by the Australian warships ''Melbourne'', ''Brisbane'', ''Adelaide'', ''Anzac'', and ''Stalwart'', the ships of the Special Service Squadron, and several civilian ferries carrying passengers.<ref name=Bastock38/><ref name=Cassells17>Cassells, ''The Capital Ships'', p. 17</ref> Many personnel volunteered to be part of the scuttling party, but only those who had served aboard her were selected.<ref>Sears, in Stevens, ''The Royal Australian Navy'', p. 66</ref> At 14:30, the scuttling party set the charges, opened all [[seacock]]s, and cleared the ship.<ref name=Bastock38/><ref name=StevensNN166>Stevens, in Stevens & Reeve, ''The Navy and the Nation'', p. 166</ref> Explosive charges blew a hole in the hull a few minutes later, but it took 20 minutes for the intake of water to bring holes cut in the battlecruiser's upper flanks to the waterline.<ref name=StevensNN166/> The [[angle of list]] increased significantly, causing the three spare 12-inch barrels lashed to the deck to break free and roll overboard, before ''Australia'' inverted completely and began to sink stern-first.<ref name=Cassells17/><ref name=StevensNN166/> ''Australia'' submerged completely at 14:51; a [[Royal Australian Air Force]] aircraft dropped a [[wreath]] where the warship had sunk, while ''Brisbane'' fired a rolling [[21-gun salute]].<ref name=Bastock38/><ref name=StevensNN166/> The wreck was [[gazetted]] as being at {{coord|33|53|25|S|151|46|5|E|display=inline}}, {{convert|270|m}} below.<ref name=Duncan41>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', p. 41</ref> However, there were discrepancies with other sources, and the exact location of ''Australia'' was unknown.<ref name=Duncan41/>

[[File:HMAS Australia sinking AllanGreen.jpg|thumb|right|alt=An aerial photograph of a large, World War I-era warship armed with four gun turrets, each with two guns, at sea. The ship is listing to port, but does not appear to be otherwise moving.|''Australia'' listing to port and sinking]]
There are two schools of thought surrounding the decision to scuttle the battlecruiser. The first is that sinking ''Australia'' was a major blow to the nation's ability to defend herself. Following the battlecruiser's scuttling, the most powerful warships in the RAN were four old light cruisers.<ref name=Symbolic1/> The battlecruiser had served as a deterrent to German naval action against Australia during the war, and with growing tensions between Japan and the United States of America, that deterrence might have been required if the nations had become openly hostile towards each other or towards Australia.<ref name=Symbolic1.2>Kerr, ''A Loss More Symbolic Than Material?'', in ''Semaphore'', pp. 1–2</ref> The opposing argument is that, while an emotive and symbolic loss, the ship was obsolete, and would have been a drain on resources.<ref name=Symbolic1/><ref name=Sears65/> Operating and maintaining the warship was beyond the capabilities of the RAN's post-war budgets, necessitating the ship's reduction in status in 1920 and assignment to reserve in 1921.<ref name=Symbolic2>''A Loss More Symbolic Than Material?'', in ''Semaphore'', p. 2</ref> Ammunition and replacement barrels for the main guns were no longer manufactured.<ref name=Sears65/><ref name=Symbolic1.2/> To remain effective, ''Australia'' required major modernisation (including new propulsion machinery, increased armour and armament, and new fire control systems) at a cost equivalent to a new {{sclass2|County|cruiser|2}}.<ref name=Symbolic1/>

In 1990, a large, unknown shipwreck was encountered by the Fugro Seafloor Surveys vessel MV ''Moana Wave 1'' while surveying the path of the [[PacRimWest]] communications cable.<ref name=Duncan45>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', p. 45</ref> One of the survey ship's crew theorised that the wreck, located at {{coord|33|51|54.21|S|151|44|25.11|E|display=title,inline}} in {{convert|390|m}} of water, was ''Australia'', but Fugro kept the information to themselves until 2002, when the company's Australian branch mentioned the discovery during a conference.<ref name=Duncan45/> This piqued the interest of a member of the [[New South Wales Heritage Office]], who requested copies of the company's data.<ref name=Duncan45/> The size and location of the ship pointed towards it being ''Australia'', but the depth meant verification through inspection could only be achieved with a [[remote operated vehicle]] (ROV).<ref name=Duncan47>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', p. 47</ref> The RAN was approached in 2007 for assistance, but although they supported the project, the RAN did not have the equipment to assist.<ref name=Duncan47/> In March 2007, the United States Navy loaned the deep-sea ROV ''[[CURV-21]]'' to the Australian Government, to locate and recover a [[Sikorsky S-70|Black Hawk]] helicopter which crashed during the [[Operation Quickstep|Australian response]] to the [[2006 Fijian coup d'état]].<ref name=Duncan47/> While en route back to Australia, the ROV, carried aboard [[Defence Maritime Services]] vessel {{ship||Seahorse Standard||2}}, was directed to Fugro's coordinates at the request of the NSW Heritage Office to verify and inspect the wreck.<ref name=Duncan47/><ref name=Cubby>Cubby, ''First Navy Flagship Found off Sydney''</ref> Video footage captured by the ROV allowed the NSW Heritage Office to confirm that the wreck was ''Australia'' by matching features like the superstructure and masts to historical photographs.<ref name=Cubby/><ref>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', p. 63</ref> Although initially sinking stern-first, the battlecruiser levelled out as she sank, with the aft mast the first to strike the bottom.<ref name=Duncan73.4>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', pp. 73–74</ref> After hitting the seabed, ''Australia'' slid about {{convert|400|m}} to her final resting place.<ref name=Duncan73.4/> The wreck site is protected under the federal ''[[Historic Shipwrecks Act 1976]]''.<ref>Duncan, ''Battlecruiser HMAS Australia (1)'', p. 75</ref>

==Artifacts==
The outer port side propeller of ''Australia'' can be found on the grounds of the [[Australian War Memorial]], between the main building and Anzac Hall. This is believed to be the spare from HMS ''Indefatigable'' that was fitted to ''Australia'' after her collision with HMS ''New Zealand'' in 1916.<ref>Griffiths, ''Australia and its screw''</ref>

Prior to her scuttling the ship's bell was transferred to the Australian War Memorial. By 1927 the bell was being rung at the memorial mark the commencement and conclusion of the traditional two minutes of silence on Remembrance Day. It is still on display at the Australian War Memorial, but is no longer rung.<ref>Spennemann & Parker, ''After They Fell Silent: The Nature and Fate of the Ship Bells Associated with the Vessels Scrapped for the Washington Arms Limitation Treaty of 1922''</ref>

A 12 inch armour piercing shell from ''Australia'' is held by the Australian War Memorial.<ref>Australian War Memorial, ''12 inch armour piercing shell: HMAS Australia (I)''</ref>

==Footnotes==
{{notelist-ua}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
===Books===
* {{Cite book |author=Australian Naval Aviation Museum (ANAM) |title=Flying Stations: A Story of Australian Naval Aviation |year=1998 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=St Leonards, NSW |isbn=1-86448-846-8 |oclc=39290180}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bastock |first=John |title=Australia's Ships of War |year=1975 |publisher=Angus and Robertson |location=Cremorne, NSW |isbn=0-207-12927-4 |oclc=2525523}}
* {{Cite book |last=Burt |first=R. A. |title=British Battleships of World War One |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |year=1986 |isbn=0-87021-863-8 |oclc=14224148}}
* {{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=N. J. M. |title=Battle Cruisers: The Design and Development of British and German Battlecruisers of the First World War Era |publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=Greenwich |year=1978 |series=Warship Special |volume=1 |isbn=0-85177-130-0 |oclc=5991550}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cassells |first=Vic |title=The Capital Ships: Their Battles and Their Badges |year=2000 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |location=East Roseville, NSW |isbn=0-7318-0941-6 |oclc=48761594}}
* {{Cite book |last=Dennis |first=Peter |author2=Grey, Jeffrey |author3=Morris, Ewan |author4= Prior, Robin  |title=The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, VIC |orig-year=1995 |year=2008 |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-19-551784-2 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{Cite book |last=Frame |first=Tom |author2=Baker, Kevin |title=Mutiny! Naval Insurrections in Australia and New Zealand |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=St. Leonards, NSW |year=2000 |isbn=1-86508-351-8 |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{Cite book |last=Frame |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Frame (bishop) |title=No Pleasure Cruise: The Story of the Royal Australian Navy |year=2004 |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=Crows Nest, NSW |isbn=1-74114-233-4 |oclc=55980812}}
* {{cite book |last= Halder |first= Robert |year= 2021 |title= Mutineers: A true story of heroes and villains |location= Melbourne |publisher= Wilkinson Publishers |type= Paperback |isbn= 9781925-927573}}
* {{Cite book |last=Jose |first=Arthur W. |title=The Royal Australian Navy 1914–1918 |publisher=Angus and Robertson |location=Sydney, NSW |orig-year=1928 |year=1941 |edition=9th |series=The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 |volume=IX |oclc=215763279 |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069926/}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lambert |first=Nicholas |title=Far Flung Lines: Studies in Imperial Defence in Honour of Donald Mackenzie Schurman |editor=Neilson, Keith |editor2=Kennedy, Greg |publisher=Frank Cass |location=London |year=1997 |chapter=Economy or Empire?: The Fleet Unit Concept and the Quest for Collective Security in the Pacific, 1909–14 |isbn=0-7146-4216-9 |oclc=36122963 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J1-ReJNUE44C}}
* {{Cite book |last=Marder |first=Arthur J. |year=1978 |title=From the Dreadnought to Scapa Flow, The Royal Navy in the Fisher Era, 1904–1919 |edition=Second |volume=III: Jutland and After, May 1916 – December 1916 | publisher=Oxford University Press |location=London |isbn=0-19-215841-4 |oclc=3516460}}
* {{cite book |last=Massie |first=Robert K. |author-link=Robert K. Massie|year=2003 |title=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea |location= New York|publisher=Random House|isbn=0-679-45671-6|ref=Massie|title-link=Castles of Steel: Britain, Germany, and the Winning of the Great War at Sea}}
* {{cite book |last=Pelvin |first=Richard |year=2018|chapter= The Battlecruiser ''Australia'' (1911)|editor-first=Bruce|editor-last=Taylor|title=The World of the Battleship: The Lives and Careers of Twenty-One Capital Ships of the World's Navies, 1880–1990|location=Barnsley|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-0870219061}}
* {{Cite book |last=Roberts |first=John |title=Battlecruisers |publisher=Chatham Publishing |location=London |year=1997 |isbn=1-86176-006-X |oclc=38581302}}
* {{Cite book |last=Sears |first=Jason |editor-last=Stevens|editor-first=David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence |volume= III |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, VIC |chapter=An Imperial Service |isbn=0-19-555542-2 |oclc=50418095}}
* {{Cite book |last=Stevens |first=David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |editor-last=Stevens|editor-first=David |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2001 |location=South Melbourne, VIC |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence |volume=III |chapter=The Genesis of the Australian Navy |isbn=0-19-555542-2 |oclc=50418095}}
* {{Cite book |last=Stevens |first=David |editor-last=Stevens|editor-first=David |title=The Royal Australian Navy |series=The Australian Centenary History of Defence |volume= III |year=2001 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, VIC |chapter=World War I |isbn=0-19-555542-2 |oclc=50418095}}
* {{Cite book  |last=Stevens |first=David |title=Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century: An International Perspective |editor1-last=Bell|editor1-first=Christopher M. |editor-last2=Elleman|editor2-first=Bruce A. |publisher=Frank Cass Publishers |year=2003 |location= Southgate, London |series=Naval policy and history |volume=19 |pages=123–144 |chapter= The HMAS ''Australia'' Mutiny 1919 |isbn=0-7146-5460-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dtU3JW7WVWwC}}
* {{Cite book |last=Stevens |first=David |title=The Navy and the Nation: The Influence of the Navy on Modern Australia |editor1-last=Stevens|editor1-first=David |editor2-last=Reeve|editor2-first=John |publisher=Allen & Unwin |location=St Leonards, NSW |year=2005 |chapter=HMAS ''Australia'': A Ship for a Nation |isbn=1-74114-200-8|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{Cite book |last= Wright |first= Matthew J. |year= 2021 |title= The Battlecruiser ''New Zealand'': A Gift to Empire |location= Annapolis, Maryland |publisher= Naval Institute Press |isbn= 978-1-5267-8403-2 |oclc= 1206393324 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FShCEAAAQBAJ}}

===Journal and news articles===
* {{Cite news |last=Cubby |first=Ben |date= 13 April 2007 |title=First Navy Flagship Found off Sydney |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Ray |year=1993 |title=A Fall From Favour: HMAS ''Australia'', 1913 to 1924 |journal=Journal of the Australian Naval Institute |publisher=Australian Naval Institute |location=Campbell, ACT |volume=19 |issue=3 |issn=0312-5807}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Kerr |first=Glenn |date=May 2004 |title= A Loss More Symbolic Than Material? |journal=Semaphore |publisher=Sea Power Centre Australia |volume=2004 |issue=5 |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/history/feature-histories/loss-more-symbolic-material |access-date=24 October 2013}}
* {{Cite news |url= http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |title=Navy Marks 109th Birthday With Historic Changes To Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110613184920/http://www.navy.gov.au/Navy_Marks_109th_Birthday_With_Historic_Changes_To_Battle_Honours |archive-date= 13 June 2011 |publisher= Royal Australian Navy |access-date=23 December 2012}}
* {{cite journal |last= Ross |first= Trevor Wilson |title= Battle Cruisers in Collision |journal= Naval Historical Review |date= 31 December 1975 |issue= December 1975 |publisher= Naval Historical Society of Australia |place= Liverpool, NSW, Australia |url= https://www.navyhistory.org.au/battle-cruisers-in-collision/}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Rüger |first=Jan |date=November 2004 |title=Nation, Empire and Navy: Identity Politics in the United Kingdom |journal=Past & Present |publisher=Oxford University Press |issue=185 |pages=159–188|doi=10.1093/past/185.1.159 }}
* {{cite journal |last1= Spennemann |first1= Dirk H. R. |last2= Parker |first2= Murray |title= After They Fell Silent: The Nature and Fate of the Ship Bells Associated with the Vessels Scrapped for the Washington Arms Limitation Treaty of 1922 |journal= Heritage |volume= 4 |issue= 1 |pages= 32–75 |publisher= MPDI |year= 2021 |doi= 10.3390/heritage4010003|url= https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/4/1/3/pdf-vor|doi-access= free }}

===Online sources===
* {{cite web |title= 12 inch armour piercing shell: HMAS ''Australia'' (I) |publisher= Australian War Memorial |url= https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C223389?image=1 |accessdate= 6 November 2022}}
* {{cite web |title= Australian Naval History on 31 May 1916 |date= 31 May 1916 |publisher= Naval Historical Society of Australia |url= https://navyhistory.org.au/australian-naval-history-on-31-may-1916/ |accessdate= 6 November 2022}}
* {{Cite report |last=Duncan |first=Brad |date=July 2011 |title=Battlecruiser HMAS ''Australia'' (1): Wreck Inspection Report |url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/heritagebranch/maritime/HMASAustraliapart1.pdf |publisher=Heritage Branch, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage |location=Parramatta, NSW |access-date=26 December 2012 |oclc=754127975}}
* {{cite web |last= Griffiths |first= John |date= 7 December 2018 |title= ''Australia'' and its Screw |publisher= Australian War Memorial |url= https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/hmas-australia-screw |accessdate= 6 November 2022}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/Universal/MBT/States-Parties |title=States Parties |publisher=International Campaign to Ban Landmines |access-date=12 April 2010}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_4-45_mk5.htm |title=Britain 4"/45 (10.2&nbsp;cm) QF Mark V and Mark XV |date=25 January 2010 |publisher=Navweaps.com |access-date=7 February 2010}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_4-40_mk3.htm|title=British 4"/50 (10.2&nbsp;cm) BL Mark VII |date=14 October 2008 |access-date=11 November 2009 |publisher=Navweaps.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_3-45_mk1.htm |title=British 12-pdr (3"/45 (76.2&nbsp;cm)) 20cwt QF HA Marks I, II, III and IV |date=27 February 2007 |access-date=11 November 2009 |publisher=Navweaps.com}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2290 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040920014321/http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=2290 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=20 September 2004 |title=HMAS Australia Built by John Brown Clydebank |work=Clydebuilt Ships Database |access-date=3 April 2010}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |title=Royal Australian Navy Ship/Unit Battle Honours |date=1 March 2010 |publisher=Royal Australian Navy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614064156/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/images/Units_entitlement_list.pdf |archive-date=14 June 2011 |access-date=23 December 2012}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Johnston|first=Ian|year=2011|title=Clydebank Battlecruisers: Forgotten Photographs from John Brown's Shipyard|location=Annapolis, Maryland|publisher=Naval Institute Press|type=Hardcover|isbn=978-1591141204}}
* {{cite book |last=Meaney |first=Neville Kingsley |year=2009 |title=The Search for Security in the Pacific 1901-1914: A History of Australian Defence and Foreign Policy 1901-23 |location= Sydney |publisher=Sydney University Press |volume=1 |isbn=9781920899189}}
* {{cite journal |last=Overlack |first=Peter |title=German Commerce Warfare Planning for the Australian Station, 1900-1914 |journal= War & Society |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=17–48 |publisher=Routledge |place=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |year=1996 |doi=10.1179/072924796791200898 |url=https://www.academia.edu/40201230}}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Tracy |editor-first=Nicholas |year=2020 |title=The Collective Naval Defence of Empire, 1900–1940 |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |publisher=Routledge |isbn= 9781000341621}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMAS Australia (1911)}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110611052918/http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=29165 Thus Britain Honours Her Word] – A [[Pathé Newsreel]] from 1924 containing footage of ''Australia'' sinking.
* [http://www.navy.gov.au/hmas-australia-i HMAS Australia (I)] – The Royal Australian Navy webpage for ''Australia''.

{{Indefatigable class battlecruiser}}
{{1924 shipwrecks}}
{{Navbox shipwrecks of New South Wales|state=collapsed}}

{{featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Australia (1911)}}
[[Category:1911 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde]]
[[Category:Scuttled vessels of New South Wales]]
[[Category:World War I battlecruisers of Australia]]
[[Category:Indefatigable-class battlecruisers of the Royal Australian Navy]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1924]]

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Module:InfoboxImage (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Math (view source) (protected)
Module:Military navigation (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Namespace detect/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Namespace detect/data (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/configuration (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbar/styles.css (view source) (protected)
Module:Navbox (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/configuration (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Navbox/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Ns has subpages (view source) (protected)
Module:Other uses (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Pagetype (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/config (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/disambiguation (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/rfd (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/setindex (view source) (protected)
Module:Pagetype/softredirect (view source) (protected)
Module:SDcat (view source) (protected)
Module:Side box (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Side box/styles.css (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:String (view source) (protected)
Module:TableTools (view source) (protected)
Module:Unsubst (view source) (protected)
Module:WPMILHIST Infobox style (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WPSHIPS utilities (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WPSHIPS utilities/data (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/nolinks (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:WikidataIB/titleformats (view source) (template editor protected)
Module:Wikitext Parsing (view source) (protected)
Module:Yesno (view source) (protected)

Return to HMAS Australia (1911).

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Australia_(1911)"