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HMVS ''Victoria'' was a
In late February 1884, ''Victoria'' was in
gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.
History Pre-ste ...
that served with the Victorian Naval Forces
Before Federation in 1901 five of the six separate colonies maintained their own naval forces for defence. The colonial navies were supported by the ships of the Royal Navy's Australian Station which was established in 1859. The separate colonie ...
and Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
before being sold into private use.
Design
This class was built to a type Dflat-iron gunboat
Flat-iron gunboats (more formally known as Rendel gunboats) were a number of classes of coastal gunboats generally characterised by small size, low freeboard, the absence of masts,Some Rendel-type gunboats were fitted with masts (the British ''Med ...
design from builders Armstrong Mitchell and Co.
Operational history
In late February 1884, ''Victoria'' was in Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
on her delivery voyage to Australia with the gunboat ''Albert'' and the torpedo boat ''Childers'' when news of General Charles Gordon's death at Khartoum reached the British Empire.Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p 67 The three ships were immediately offered for service in the Sudan Campaign
The Mahdist War ( ar, الثورة المهدية, ath-Thawra al-Mahdiyya; 1881–1899) was a war between the Mahdist Sudanese of the religious leader Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah, who had proclaimed himself the "Mahdi" of Islam (the "Guided On ...
. The offer was accepted and the smaller less seaworthy ''Childers'' was sent ahead. By the time the two larger gunboats reached their destination on 19 March at Suakin
Suakin or Sawakin ( ar, سواكن, Sawákin, Beja: ''Oosook'') is a port city in northeastern Sudan, on the west coast of the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port, but is now secondary to Port Sudan, about north.
Suakin used to b ...
, the conflict had moved too far inland for warships to be of any assistance. The vessels all departed three days later to continue their voyage to the colony. They arrived in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
on 26 June after travelling via Aden, Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo m ...
, the Dutch East Indies and Torres Strait
The Torres Strait (), also known as Zenadh Kes, is a strait between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost extremity of the Australian mai ...
.
Due to the depression of the 1890s ''Victoria'' was decommissioned in 1893 and sold. She was subsequently purchased by the West Australian government in 1896. She was purchased in 1902 by the Sydney based tug company Fenwicks, who used her as a towing vessel.Frame, ''No Pleasure Cruise'', p 70 She was scrapped in 1920 after 18 years of service on Sydney Harbour.
See also
*List of Victorian Naval Forces ships
List of Ships of the Victorian Naval Forces, 1855–1901:
A
B
C
E
F
G
L
N
V
References
*''Warships of Australia,'' Ross Gillett, Illustrations Colin Graham, Rigby Limited, 1977, {{ISBN, 0-7270-0472-7
Victorian Naval F ...
* Colonial navies of Australia - Victoria
Notes and references
Bibliography
*''Warships of Australia'', Ross Gillett, Illustrations Colin Graham, Rigby Limited, 1977, *External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Victoria (1884) Gunboats of the Victorian Naval Forces 1884 ships Victorian-era gunboats Ships built by Armstrong Whitworth