State Library of South Australia

H.M.A.S. Australia steaming past Middle Head at Sydney, New South Wales [PRG 280/1/13/200] • Photograph

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Summary

H.M.A.S. Australia, the first flagship of the Royal Australian Navy passing Middle Head in Sydney Harbour on 4 October 1913. The view is taken from a position on shore and includes another photographer in the foreground working with his camera and tripod.

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Physical description

photograph; 10.5 x 31 cm

Dates / Publication details

Approximately 1913

Collection

Part of Searcy Collection

Subject

Australia (Ship)
Warships -- New South Wales -- Sydney
Marine photography -- New South Wales -- Sydney
Photographers -- New South Wales -- Sydney

Catalogue record

Return to catalogue

Historical information

The photo was taken above the Lightkeeper's Cottage (c1858), and just below Hornby Lighthouse at Watson's Bay. HMAS Australia is actually passing Middle Head (the viewer is looking across the water toward HMAS Penguin (Naval base). Balmoral is on the other side). The land seen faintly in the background is most likely Grotto Point to Dobroyd Head, or further back. Whoever took the picture would have seen a sweeping panorama all the way from Middle head down to Bradley's Head (toward Sydney Harbour), and right around to North Head and the Pacific Ocean! Obviously, over the last 100+ years there have been rock falls from the cliffs around Watson's Bay, but it is possible to piece together some of the landscape where the cameraman in the photo is standing. The fence on the left side no longer exists because this is a public walkway through National park foreshore, but the grass is part of the original lawn of the Lightkeeper's cottage, and is still there! The photographer of this scene was standing on a high point below Hornby Lighthouse & above the Cottage. On what is probably the exact spot on the South Head cliff, Watsons Bay, is a concrete bunker (WWII) which is now fenced off due to unstable cliffs. [Information provided by Victoria Kitanov.]

Digitisation information

Date

04/07/2001

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

3,364 x 2,268 pixels (7.6 MP)

Size

7.63 MB

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