HMAS Encounter

HMAS "Encounter" was a second-class protected cruiser of the Challenger class laid down for the Royal Navy by HM Dockyard at Devonport in Plymouth 28 January 1901, launched on 18 June 1902, completed 21 November 1905 and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy 27 July 1915.

Operational History

In 1914 the ship bombarded German positions at Toma during the New Guinea campaign.In July 1916, during a visit by to an unnamed island off the coast of Western Australia, two bronze cannons were discovered by HMAS "Encounter" officers Commander C.W. Stevens and Surgeon Lieutenant W. Roberts. The latter described:

Approximately 25 paces from the water’s edge, we saw the two carronades protruding, through the sand 2/3rds of each being exposed so that they were easily lifted out. They were ... convert|6|ft|m|0 apart and certainly had the appearance of leading marks ... a large number of the ship's company landed and next day, shifted sand over practically the whole area for a considerable depth. The only other object found was a small portion of a brass boundchest. You can imagine the disappointment of the matelots who had visions of buried treasure. [cite web| url = http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/collections/maritime/march/documents/No.215CarronadeIsGun.pdf| title = Letter from Surgeon Commander Roberts, 18 August 1933| accessmonthday = 2 January| accessyear = 2007| author = Surgeon Commander Roberts| date = 18 August 1933| format = PDF| work =reproduced in "The Carronade Island Guns and Southeast Asian gun founding" by Jeremy Green| publisher = Department of Maritime Archaeology, Western Australian Museum| pages = page 2]

Since these guns were erroneously thought to be carronades, the place was named "Carronade Island".Maritime Archaeology Department of the Western Australian Maritime Museum [http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/collections/maritime/march/documents/No.215CarronadeIsGun.pdf "An investigation of one of the two bronze guns from Carronade Island, Western Australia"] ] Green, Jeremy N. "The Carronade Island guns and Australia's early visitors." Great circle, Vol.4, no.1 (1982), p.73-83.]

In early 1919, "Encounter" was sent to Darwin to protect Administrator John Gilruth, following the Darwin Rebellion. Gilruth and his family boarded her on 20 February 1919 and were taken to Melbourne. [Rosenzweig, Paul (1996). [http://www.nt.gov.au/administrator/foundation/docs/excerpts_house_of_seven_gables.pdf "Governors, Residents and Administrator of the Northern Territory": Pages 30 & 31] . Northern Territory Government. Retrieved on 4 May 2008.] HMAS "Encounter" paid off on 30 September 1920, was renamed "Penguin" on 1 January 1923, and served as an accommodation ship until scuttled on 14 September 1932 off Sydney. She now lies at a depth of around 74 meters and is dived regularly.

References