Circa 1951-54: HMAS AUSTRALIA [II] in Hobart, maybe the 1954 Royal Visit - Archives Office of Tasmania.

3054. LARGE SIZE HIGH RESOLUTION PIC. Another great photograph of HMAS AUSTRALIA [II] although attempts to date the photograph have proved very problematic. Hence, we offer a range of dates when HMAS AUSTRALIA [II] was in Hobart.

 

1948: At Hobart Feb. 17- Mar 1, Regatta: with HMAS BATAAN.

1949: At Hobart Feb. 2- Mar. 21, Regatta and exercises .``

1951: At Hobart Feb.25 - Mar 27, exercises with Commonwealth ships.

1952: At Hobart Feb 22-March 29, broken visit, with HMAS ANZAC [II].

1953: At Hobart about Jan 23-Feb 12, Regatta.

1954: Feb 18-23: Royal Visit escorting Royal yacht GOTHIC with HMAS ANZAC [II].

 

With many dates to choose from, simply because of ship's ultra-smart detailing - e.g. white fairleads - we are inclined to think the image above may have been taken during the 1954 Royal Visit, when AUSTRALIA [II] and ANZAC [II] escorted the Royal Yacht GOTHIC there. But it may be another occasion.

 

You can see here that AUSTRALIA formerly carried two anchors forward on the starboard side [but not to port], The second starboard hawse pipe is plated over here.

 

We're not sure when the change was made, maybe the 1938-9 modernization, but you can see the three forward anchors of the old days in PIC NO. 4023 here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/5468086265/

 

It was the same with HMAS SHROPSHIRE, one starboard hawse plated over, so maybe it was common to the Class. See SHROPSHIRE at Pic NO 161, here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/3840386744/in/photostream

 

Photo: Archives Office of Tasmania Collection, State Library of Tasmania [W.L. Crowther Library], its image ID [ADRI] is AB713-1-4159.

 

A three-part COMPENDIUM of links to more than 200 HMAS AUSTRALIA [II] images on this Photostream begins at Pic Entry NO 5412, here:

 

www.flickr.com/photos/41311545@N05/6627997309/in/photostream

 

 

Done