In 1885 the Victorian Navy was both a fairly large and efficient force. It had a history going back to 1856 when it took delivery of the HMCS Victoria. The Victoria had a busy career, participating in the Maori Wars in New Zealand, survey and rescue as well as an attempt at relieving the Bourke and Wills Exploring Expedition. By 1882 she was hopelessly obsolete and was decommissioned and sold out of service.

The Navy had found its nucleus in the early (1871) purchase of a turreted coastal defence monitor, the HMVS Cerberus. Having made the perilous journey from the UK to Victoria, the Cerberus took up it’s post as Flagship. With her powerful armament and heavy armour she was one of the strongest units in the Southern hemisphere and an undoubted defensive asset.

Additional purchases in 1884 meant the Victorian Navy additionally disposed of two Armstrong gunboats, one first-class and two second-class Thornycroft torpedo boats. Then there was the Nelson, an old steam-driven line-of-battle ship of wooden construction. Victoria had taken possession of her from the royal Navy as a gift. It was intended she be used as a training vessel and as such she served, although the thrifty Victorians could not resist treating her as worthy of still standing in the battle line.

Additionally the Victorian Navy disposed of a number of small steam launches fitted with spar torpedos and larger steamships fitted with one or more heavy guns as in Table 2 below.

Table 2, The Victorian Navy 30th May, 1885
Name	Class	Armament
Nelson	Frigate	Two 7” RML, eighteen 64PR ML
Cerberus	Ironclad Monitor	Four 10” RML, four Nordenfelt machineguns
Victoria	3rd Class Gunboat	One 10”BL, two 13 PR, two Nordenfelt machineguns
Albert	3rd Class Gunboat	One 8”BL, one 6”BL, two 9 PR, two Nordenfelt machineguns
Childers	First-class torpedo boat	Two 15” torpedo tubes, two Nordenfelt machineguns
Nepean	Second-class torpedo boat	One 14” torpedo tube
Lonsdale	Second-class torpedo boat	One 14” torpedo tube
Miner	Inshore minelayer	-
Batman	Auxiliary Gunboat	One 64PR SB
Fawkner	Auxiliary Gunboat	One 64PR SB
Gannet	Auxiliary Gunboat	One 64PR SB
Spray	Spar Torpedo Boat	-
Commissioner	Spar Torpedo Boat	-
Lion	Spar Torpedo Boat	-
No. 1	Spar Torpedo Boat	-
Hercules	Despatch vessel	-
Pharos	Pilot Vessel	-
Despatch	Government Yacht	-

Having all these resources at their disposal, the Victorian Government needed a Field Force to counter whatever land forces a foe-man might have attempted to throw upon their shores. In the next part of out series we look at the army of the Colony of Victoria.

To War? What if the Russians Came? Defending Melbourne in 1885

Part 2: Topography
Part 2: Fortifications and the Navy
Part 2: The Fleet
Part 2: Arms and Equipment: Guns
Part 2: Arms and Equipment: Ships

Part 1: Defending Melbourne in 1885

Part 3: Defending Melbourne in 1885: Victorian Military Forces