1 operational history
1.1 new zealand wars deployment, 1860
1.2 search burke , wills, 1861-2
1.3 rescue of netherby
1.4 1862 onwards
operational history
victoria s main duties protect colony of victoria, conduct hydrological surveys, recover passengers , crew stricken ships, , serve lighthouse tender. during career sloop delivered first trout eggs colony of tasmania.
new zealand wars deployment, 1860
in 1860, colonial government of victoria decided send sloop new zealand, support british colonists fighting in first taranaki war. on 19 april 1860, victoria sailed hobart, embarked 134 troops 40th regiment of foot, , transported them new zealand. prior departure, colonial government passed act giving ship legal status, law overturned britain attempt create naval force independent of royal navy.
after delivering soldiers auckland, victoria performed shore bombardments , coastal patrols, while maintaining supply routes between auckland , new plymouth.
in july, sailed sydney transport general thomas pratt , staff new zealand. victoria used evacuate women , children town of new plymouth, following maori attacks on town s fortifications. in october, ship underwent refit in wellington, , resumed duties delivering british reinforcements combat areas. victorian colonial government required ship urgent survey work, return requested @ end of year, victoria arriving in melbourne in march 1861.
the new zealand wars deployment first time australian warship had been deployed assist in foreign war. legal hazards of having colonial warship operating outside territorial limits rectified declaring australian warships in international or foreign waters had commissioned royal navy.
search burke , wills, 1861-2
when news reached melbourne in july 1861 explorers burke , wills missing somewhere between cooper creek , gulf of carpentaria royal society of victoria decided send number of search parties search them. commander william henry norman sailed hobson s bay in victoria on 4 august 1861 brisbane, william landsborough , queensland relief expedition boarded. victoria arrived @ albert river in gulf of carpentaria @ end of september 1861. aboard botanist diedrich henne. after finding traces of explorers, returned melbourne on 31 march 1862.
rescue of netherby
on 14 july 1866, ship netherby carrying immigrants queensland wrecked off king island in bass strait , 413 passengers , 49 crew made onshore safely, there without shelter , limited provisions. second officer, john parry, led party of crew , passengers procure assistance lighthouse on island, there insufficient supplies there number of survivors. parry , 3 others took 23-foot whaleboat @ lighthouse and, despite high winds , rough seas, managed reach australian mainland between point roadknight , barwon heads, met party of surveyors assisted them. parry took horse , rode 26 miles geelong raised alarm telegram melbourne on 21 july. victorian government summoned captain norman load supplies of food, blankets, tents , medicine onto victoria , proceed @ full speed king island rescue survivors; john parry (who had travelled melbourne train geelong) joined ship locate survivors. ship, pharos, had independently sailed williamstown render assistance survivors. on monday 23 july, norman located wreck of netherby and, after discussions netherby s captain owens took 230 passengers on board victoria (as many possible), while off-loading supplies remaining on island. pharos arrived , took on-board remaining 60 survivors near wreck site, other 117 survivors having left wreck site heading lighthouse. having taken rescued people melbourne, victoria , pharos returned lighthouse @ king island rescued remaining survivors , replaced lost whaleboat @ lighthouse. survivors taken train , cab (a free service cabmen) accommodated in immigration depot , exhibition building (not present royal exhibition building). little of luggage of survivors recovered , in wretched state after ordeal; victorian public donated clothing , funds assist survivors, many of whom decided settle in victoria rather undertake sea voyage queensland.
1862 onwards
in 1867, victoria present visit of prince alfred, duke of edinburgh—the first member of british royal family visit australia.
by 1877, victoria s armament had been altered include 1 10-inch gun, 2 13-pounders, , 2 3-pounders.
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