World Heritage Week: HMAS Sydney

Day 2 in our Heritage Week | The HMAS Sydney I

The HMAS Sydney I was launched in 1912 and commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1913.
During the early stages of World War I, HMAS Sydney I was involved in escorting the first ANZAC convoy.
On 9 November 1914, HMAS Sydney I defeated the German cruiser, in the Battle of the Cocos. During 1915-16, it operated from North America to Greenock, Scotland, supporting the Aussie troops.
During late 1917, HMAS Sydney I became the first Australian warship to launch an aircraft, and the first warship to do so from a rotatable platform.

After the end of WWI, HMAS Sydney I spent a year in reserve before being reactivated to serve as Flagship of the RAN. The cruiser was decommissioned in 1928 and broken up for scrap but a few parts remain around Sydney including the Hull, perched beneath the Harbour Bridge right at our half way point.