// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did the Australian Squadron say? "We're flocking to the mission.

The Australian Squadron was the name given to the British naval force assigned to the Australia Station from 1859 to 1911.

The Squadron was initially a small force of Royal Navy warships based in Sydney, and although intended to protect the colonies of Australia and New Zealand, the ships were primarily used for surveying and police work. The isolation of Australia from the rest of the British Empire meant the force was easily neglected, and by the 1870s, was perceived to be useless for its intended role.

Imperial Defence Act 1888
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for defraying the Expenses of carrying into effect an Agreement for Naval Defence with the Australasian Colonies, and providing for the Defence of certain Ports and Coaling Stations, and for making further provision for Imperial Defence.
Citation	51 & 52 Vict. c. 32
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	13 August 1888
Commencement	13 August 1888
Repealed	23 May 1950
Other legislation Repealed by Finance Act 1894 Statute Law Revision Act 1908 Statute Law Revision Act 1950
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

Following the passing of the Australasian Naval Defence Act 1887 (51 Vict. No. 39 (NZ)), the Australasian Naval Force Act 1887 (51 Vict. No. 22 (NSW)), the Australasian Naval Force Act 1887 (No. 829 (Vic.)), the Australasian Naval Force Act 1887 (51 Vict No. 18 (Tas.)) and the Imperial Defence Act 1888 (51 & 52 Vict. c. 32 (Imp.)) an additional 'Auxiliary Squadron' was assigned to the station by the British Admiralty with the responsibility for protecting trade in the region. During the early 1900s, the Australian and New Zealand governments agreed to help fund the squadron, while the Admiralty committed itself to keeping the squadron at a constant strength.

As a British force, the Australian Squadron ceased on 4 October 1913, when the ships of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) entered Sydney Harbour for the first time. However, the term was subsequently used between 1926 and 1949 to refer to the ships of the RAN: after the decommissioning and scuttling of the battlecruiser HMAS Australia and other cutbacks, the term 'Australian Fleet' was thought to be inappropriate to describe the navy's strength. HMAS Melbourne served as squadron flagship between 1922 and 1928.

See also

• List of ships assigned to the Australian Squadron
• Australia Station

Bibliography

• Dennis, Peter; Grey, Jeffrey; Morris, Ewan; Prior, Robin (2008). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, VIC: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-551784-2. OCLC 271822831.