In the years between Australia’s Federation in 1901 and the royal proclamation of the title ‘Royal Australian Navy’ in 1911, the nation’s navy was known as the Commonwealth Naval Force (CNF). In the Summer 2000-2001 edition of the Journal of the Australian Naval Institute, Dr David Stevens contributed an article on this least well known chapter in Australia’s naval history. As the RAN approaches its 125th anniversary it makes for timely reading.
