HMAS Melbourne: collection of World War I era real-photo postcards (plus a few photographs) taken by crew members, mostly whilst the HMAS Melbourne was deployed in the Caribbean, many are annotated and dated on the reverse, stating where the images were taken and the activities taking place with 1915 (Feb), Divers at work, Kingston, Jamaica, ; 1915 (Feb), washing day, off Havana, ; 1915 (Feb.12), Speed trial from British Honduras to Kingston (Jamaica)...during a gale, & 1916 (Feb.6), full power trial from Bermuda to Jamaica, ; 1915 (Aug), native boys diving for coins, St Lucia, ; 1915 (Sep.2), Testing life saving rafts at Bridgetown, Barbados, ; 1916 (Apr.3), HMAS Melbourne & SS Midland laden with pontoons & munitions for Vladivostok, at St Lucia; 1916 (Mar.5), Investigation party stranded at San Jose Island, Brazil, ; also, coaling scenes, at Martinique, Jamaica or St Lucia and, Coaling at sea off Anguilla Island from Admiralty collier 'Eastwood', ; plus group shots of HMAS Melbourne crew and the ship's band; ship sports scenes with Aussie Rules team photos including. Football exhibition game, Australian rules at Trinidad (stokers team), dated, 18/4/16, and, three legged race, Obstacle race, &, band race, all dated, Bermuda, 22/7/16, plus a Beattie (Hobart) real-photo postcard showing boxers on a floating stadium; few others taken in other locations including. Silk battle flags, off Cocos Island, dated, Nov 9, 1914, and Scapa Flow (Orkneys, Scotland). An important, and likely unique, assembly. (165), the HMAS, Melbourne, carried out alternate patrols, in tandem with HMAS Sydney, of the Caribbean (based at Bermuda) and the north Atlantic off long Island (based at Halifax, Nova Scotia), between 1915 and 1916, as part of the North American and West Indies squadron.
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The object could be considered important because it is by a famous designer or maker, has been shown at a major exhibition, is of exquisite workmanship, is rare or is a "one-off", was made for an important patron, and so on.
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