Defence Forces of New South Wales – Part 4

Royal Museum Greenwich: NSW Naval brigade button by Firmin.  https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/78143.html

There was a naval force of one ship, the HMCS Spitfire, from 1854-1859.

The lack of any sea-going ships was not enough to deter volunteers joining the new NSW Naval Brigade in 1863. It was not until the late 1870s that two ships were constructed in Sydney. However, they did have the use of the non-seaworthy HMS Woverine from 1882-1892 as a training ship upon Sydney Harbour.

Photo from Wikipedia.

The artillery of the NSW contingent of the NSW Naval Brigade went to Tientsin in China in July 1900 to help the British suppress the Boxer Rebellion, along with those from Victoria and South Australia.

Australian War Memorial collection #306822. Group portrait 1900, Sydney, of the NSW Naval Brigade contingent to the Boxer Rebellion

There existed a “duplicate” force of Naval Artillery Volunteers from 1884 until 1901 when it was disbanded. They had also used the Woverine for training.  A newspaper article claimed there was “a great deal of friendly rivalry between the two forces.”

Thanks to Noble Numismatics: Naval Artillery Volunteers c.1890 by W.Jones & Co, 7 Golden Square London.

A button is shown on page  54 of Cossum.

Australian war memorial collection: P02233.001
An officer (in white) and men of the NSW Naval Artillery Volunteers wearing standard Royal Navy uniforms.

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