Billy Hughes inspects JEANNE D'ARC

Photographer Samuel J Hood Studio (Australian, 1899 - 1953)

Date1938

Object number00020434

NameNitrate negative

MediumEmulsion on nitrate film.

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionJEANNE D'ARC moored at Circular Quay, Sydney on its 1938 goodwill visit to Australia. The then Federal Minister for External Affairs - William "Billy" Morris Hughes, former Australian Prime Minister 1915-1923 - made an official visit. Here we see Hughes with Captain Auphan and a gentleman who is presumably a French government official or perhaps a consul or ambassador. A naval guard stands with bayonetted rifles.HistoryThe French cruiser JEANNE D'ARC was built in 1930 and in 1931 toured countries of South America where France wanted to increase her influence. On 2 February 1938, she entered Sydney Heads and berthed at Circular Quay. La Jeanne (nickname) was a training cruiser and, under the command of Captain Paul Auphan, there were 27 officers, 506 ratings and 120 midshipmen. Early in 1938 Sydney was preparing to hold the Empire games while celebrating 150 years of European settlement. To help commemorate the occasion, ships of the United States (USS LOUISVILLE), French, Italian (cruiser RAIMONDO MONTECUCCOLI), Dutch (sloop FLORES), British (HMS ACHILLES), and New Zealand navies were present. JEANNE D'ARC and the sloop RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY comprised the French representatives. From the Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday 3 February 1938: MARCH OF TROOPS. FOREIGN NAVAL MEN TO TAKE PART. To-morrow afternoon there will be a march through Sydney streets of naval, military, and air force units, together with parties from the New Zealand, American, French, Italian, and Dutch warships now in port. The Governor- General, Lord Gowrie, will take the salute at the Town Hall at about 2.25 p.m. This will be the first time that naval parties of four foreign nations have marched together in Sydney. The procession will form up in the Domain (Mitchell Library entrance) at 2 p.m., and the route will be: Macquarie Street, St. James Square, Elizabeth Street, Liverpool Street, George Street, Martin Place, Macquarie Street, back to the Domain FRENCH MARCH TO-DAY. This morning, at 11 o'clock, landing parties from the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc and the French sloop Rigault de Genouilly will place wreaths on the Cenotaph in Martin Place. They will march from the Circular Quay, via George Street, to Martin Place, and will return by the same route. From the Sydney Morning Herald, Friday 4 February 1938: WARSHIP INSPECTIONS. It was announced yesterday that there could be no further opportunities for the public to inspect the Dutch gunboat Flores. Inspection of the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc has been reserved on Saturday afternoon (3 p.m. to 5 p.m.) to returned soldiers and sailors and their wives, and on Monday next (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) to members of the Alliance Française. To-day 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) the vessel will be open for inspection by the general public. TO-DAY'S PROCESSION. MEN FROM FOUR FOREIGN NAVIES. In the procession of navy, army, and air force units in Sydney this afternoon, there will be on parade 1,600 officers and men from the Australian army and detachments from the New Zealand, United States, French, Italian, and Dutch warships, now in port. The Governor-General, Lord Gowrie, will take the salute at the Town Hall at about 2.25 p.m. The procession will leave the Domain (Mitchell Library entrance) at 2 p.m., and will march via Macquarie Street, Queen's Square, St. James's Road, Elizabeth Street, Liverpool Street, George Street, Martin Place, Macquarie Street, back to the starting point. The military units will include the 1st Heavy Brigade, Royal Australian Engineers, a section of sixty-pounders (two guns), a section of Howitzers (two guns), a section of anti-aircraft units (two guns), two medium and two light tanks, and a detachment from the Royal Air Force. The bands in the procession will be those of the Louisville, the Jeanne d'Arc, the Achilles, the Royal Australian Navy, and the Royal Australian Air Force. FRENCH SAILORS PARADE AT CENOTAPH. With fixed bayonets and swords at the slope, and commanded by Lieutenant de Vaisseau, of the training cruiser Jeanne d'Arc, 150 midshipmen, petty officers, and men in the visiting French warships, Jeanne d'Arc and Rigault de Genouilly, marched through the city yesterday to the Cenotaph. The commander of the Jeanne d'Arc, Captain G. Auphan, laid a wreath on the Ceno- taph, and the bugle sounded the "Last Post." This was followed by the Marseillaise, which was played by the band, and the ceremony ended with the playing of "Tipperary," as a tribute to Australian soldiers. From the Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 7 February 1938 INSPECTION OF WARSHIP. The crowd of sightseers who wished to inspect the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc at Circular Quay yesterday, was so great that several hundreds late in the afternoon were unable to get on board. The vessel was open for inspection by the public from 2 o clock until 5 o'clock. Before one o'clock the crowd commenced to gather, and it was formed into a long queue outside the entrance gates to the wharf. About 4.30 pm, the gates were closed. The younger people who were disappointed contented themselves with collecting autographs from members of the crew who passed to and from the ship. On 15 February 1938, having presented a plaque to the city that commemorated 'Les Dardanelles 1915' and 'Sydney 1938' the cruiser departed Sydney and was soon to take part in WWII naval operations in the West Atlantic, the Caribbean and was mentioned in despatches for taking part in the assault on Corsica in the Mediterranean. In the final months of the war, JEANNE D'ARC was part of the Flank Force supporting Allied troops in northern Italy. Post-war duties saw JEANNE D'ARC returned to schooling duties with some 27 world cruises before decommissioning in 1964. Traditions and service do not save ships from the wreckers yard, and in 1966 JEANNE D'ARC was broken up.SignificanceThe Samuel J Hood photographic collection records an extensive range of maritime activity on Sydney Harbour, including sail, steam and naval ships, crew portraits, crews at work, ship interiors, stevedores loading and unloading cargo, port scenes, pleasure boats and harbourside social activities from the 1890s through to the 1950s. They are also highly competent artistic studies and views - Hood was regarded as an important figure in early Australian photojournalism. Hood’s maritime photographs are one of the most significant collections of such work in Australia.

This series (00020431-20441) captures the visit of the French training cruiser JEANNE D'ARC and French sloop RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY on their 1938 goodwill visit to Australia - during the 150th anniversary of European colonisation.