| Description | This collection consists of a watch bill for H M S Australia compiled by Lieutenant Richard M Harbord, 1889. The volume was purchased from Waterlow & Sons Limited, London, manufacturers to Her Majesty's Government, and is embossed on the front cover with 'S. 286A, watch station quartet and fire bills &c. for the use of H M mastless ships, no. 1 size'. Watch bills were documents kept on board vessels, listing officers and men on board ship and giving their watches and stations allocated whilst at sea. As well as containing information on the ship and crew (including crew listings), this bill also includes details on how to prepare for armed action. |
| Admin History | Richard Morden Harbord was commissioned as Lieutenant on HMS Australia on 19 November 1889. He had achieved his seniority on 1 Oct 1888. According to the inscription in the front of the volume, he was subsequently paid off, although it is not known precisely when. It has not been possible to establish further details about him.
HMS Australia was commissioned under the Northbrook Programme of 1884, and was ordered in 1885. She was a First Class (Armoured/Protected) cruiser, Orlando Class, and was designed by Nathaniel Barnaby in 1884. She was built at Napier and Sons, Govan, Scotland (no. 397). She was one of a class designed for world-wide trade protection, and was an enlarged version of the protected cruiser Mersey, but with side armour substituted for the protective deck. Her dimensions were 300x56x22 feet, with a tonnage of 5,600 tons. Her crew numbered 484 men. She was sold to King, Troon, Scotland, in April 1905.
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