23 July 1913. Commissioning of HMAS Sydney (I)

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sydneyOn this Day in 1913 HMAS Sydney was commissioned at Portsmouth under the command of Captain John Glossop. His lifelong association with Australia began in 1888 when he arrived as a midshipman in HMS Orlando, flagship of the Australian Squadron. He returned to the Australia Station in 1896 as navigating officer of HMS Royalist.

He came back to Australia again in 1908 in command of HMS Prometheus, a protected cruiser. In 1911 he was reported by the Australian naval representative in London as being ‘anxious to command a ship of the RAN.’ and ‘in entire sympathy with the Australian Navy movement’. CAPT Glossop was given command of the new light cruiser, HMAS Sydney, in June 1913. Sydney sailed for Australia in company with the new flagship, the battle-cruiser HMAS Australia, and received a tumultuous welcome on arrival in Sydney Harbour in October.

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