HMAS AUSTRALIA (II) Royal Tour felt pennant

Date1954

Object number00001529

NamePennant

MediumTextile, felt

DimensionsOverall: 240 x 600 mm, 0.05 kg

ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from John Hodge

Terms

DescriptionHMAS AUSTRALIA (II) Royal Tour felt pennant This commemorative pennant was issued to celebrate the royal tour of Australia in 1954 by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. The Royal Yacht GOTHIC was escorted by HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, QUADRANT and ANZAC during the Australian leg of the world tour. 1954HistoryThe County class heavy cruiser HMAS AUSTRALIA formed part of the naval escort for the Royal Yacht GOTHIC when Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh toured Australia and New Zealand in 1954. This royal visit was the first to Australia of a reigning monarch. Between February and April 1954 the Queen visited Australian cities and towns as part of a world royal tour visiting her colonies and dominions. In Australia the Royal Yacht was escorted by ships of the Royal Australian Navy - HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, QUADRANT and ANZAC. HMAS AUSTRALIA (II) was a County class heavy cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy launched on 17 March 1927. During World War II it conducted operations in the Indian and South Atlantic Oceans acting as a convoy escort and protecting shipping routes. The ship also served in the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Guadalcanal invasion, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and allied landings at Lingayen Gulf. AUSTRALIA suffered damage from Japanese kamikaze attacks during the closing years of the war. The cruiser was used as a training ship after 1945 and was sold for scrap in January 1955. It was broken up at Barrow-in-Furness, UK in 1956.SignificanceThis pennant represents the Australian Navy's involvement in the first visit to Australia of Britain's reigning monarch.