First ship of war

In April 1860, Her Majesty’s Colonial Steam Sloop (HMCSS, or Her Majesty’s Victorian Ship) Victoria steamed out of Hobson’s Bay, Melbourne, bound for conflict in New Zealand. The voyage made the Victoria Australia’s first ship of war.

The 580-ton steam and sail sloop was built by Young, Magnay and Co. of London for the Colony of Victoria. The builders proclaimed Victoria as the “first vessel of war built to the order of a British Colony.” It was hoped that the warship “may prove the foundation of a great navy in the southern seas.” Victoria was launched from Limehouse Dockyard on the Thames on 30 June 1855. It was intended that the ship, apart from defending the colony’s coastline, would undertake roles in maritime survey work, as a rescue vessel, and as a lighthouse tender.

Captain William Norman commanded the ship to Australia, arriving at Hobson’s Bay, Melbourne on 31 May 1856. On arrival, the vessel was already equipped with two 32-pounder broadside guns as well as a pivot gun on the bow. In 1859, its armament was increased to eight 32-pounder Armstrong guns.

In New Zealand in early 1860, conflict escalated between European settlers and indigenous Māori. The conflict would become known as the First Taranaki War, after the district of the North Island in which it was centred. New Zealand Governor Colonel Gore Browne appealed for reinforcements. The colony of Victoria responded on April 19 1860 by sending the Victoria to Hobart to board two companies of the 40th (Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot. In sailing for New Zealand on the 23rd, the crew of Victoria became the first colonial military unit committed to active service overseas. The companies were disembarked at New Plymouth on 30 April.

Sailors from Victoria’s crew also served ashore as a part of the Naval Brigade under Commodore Frederick Paget Seymour. One of the shore party, Able Seaman Henry Serjeant, died on 6 June from complications following the amputation of a foot, wounded when the rifle of a nearby sailor accidently discharged. His death marked the first casualty from an Australian colonial force to die on active service abroad.

For 12 months the vessel was used extensively to convey troops, dignitaries and tribal chiefs, and was also used as a line of communication between ports. In August 1860, the Victoria rescued 100 civilians, mostly women and children, from the besieged New Plymouth as illness and death swept through the town.

The crew members attached to the Naval Brigade distinguished themselves in action at Matarikoriko, a heavily fortified Maori pā (fort) near Kairau. In a despatch to Victorian Governor Sir Henry Barkly, Seymour wrote of “the extremely creditable manner in which [the Victoria Naval Brigade members] conducted themselves … particularly when engaged with the enemy near Kairau on the 29th December.” After the cessation of hostilities, the Victoria returned to Melbourne on 11 April 1861.

A Royal Australian Navy battle honour review in 2010 concluded that HMVS Victoria’s colonial service constituted part of Australia’s naval history. As a consequence “New Zealand 1860–61” is now the RAN’s earliest battle honour.