Ship badge : HMCS Victoria and HMAS Parramatta

Accession Number RELAWM09404
Collection type Technology
Object type Maritime vessel or watercraft
Physical description Cast iron, Paint
Maker Unknown
Date made c 1850s
Conflict New Zealand Wars, 1845-1872
First World War, 1914-1918
Description

Cast iron ships badge. The central medallion features the bust of a young woman, with the name 'VICTORIA' in raised letters around the border. On either side is a flag, with a bar beneath the central medallion. Above the central medallion are leaves and scrollwork. The item has been painted in red, blue, gold and white, with one flag painted as a white ensign and the other as the Australian blue ensign. On the reverse is written 'Ships badge HMAS Parramatta".

History / Summary

This plaque was part of the original decoration from Her Majesty's Colonial Ship (HMCS) Victoria (also known as Her Majesty's Victorian Ship (HMVS) Victoria, and Her Majesty's Colonial Steam Sloop (HMCSS) Victoria) a colonial steam ship acquired by the colony of Victoria in 1856. It was later attached to a bulkhead on HMAS Parramatta I.

Victoria is best known for transporting troops from the 40th Regiment of Foot to New Zealand in 1860 during the First Taranaki War and patrolling and taking part in actions there. In 1861 - 1862 Victoria transported searches looking for missing explorers Burke and Wills.

HMAS Parramatta I was launched on 9 February 1910, one of the six 'River' Class torpedo boat destroyers built for the Royal Australian Navy. During the First World War Parramatta served in the South West Pacific and took part in the capture of German colonies and later served in the Mediterranean on anti-submarine patrols.

The plaque was placed in HMAS Parramatta around 1912 after being “souvenired” by crew members at the naval dockyard at Williamstown, Victoria. Presumably the plaque had remained there from the time Victoria was decommissioned in the late 19th century. It was then attached to one of the bulkheads on Parramatta. One account relates it was over the entrance to the officer’s mess, another that it was above the ship’s bell on the quarter deck between the Engineer Officers and Captain’s cabins. It was above the wardroom door in 1918 when it was painted.

The colourful paint on the plaque is the work of 1861 Leading Signaller Arnold Mellor. Soon after he joined Parramatta in September 1918 , he received permission from the commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Cyril Hill ‘to tiddivate’ (Mellor’s words) the plaque, which had earlier been painted service grey to match the bulkhead. Mellor painted the Royal Navy white ensign and the Australian blue ensign on the plaque and added the name “PARRAMATTA’ to the bar at the base.

This badge was removed from HMAS Parramatta I in 1919.