HMS Australia (1886)

Australia at anchor
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Australia
Namesake	Australia
Builder	Robert Napier and Sons, Govan, Glasgow
Laid down	21 April 1885
Launched	25 November 1886
Completed	11 December 1888
Fate	Sold for scrap, 4 April 1905
General characteristics
Class and type	Orlando-class armoured cruiser
Displacement	5,535 long tons (5,624 t)
Length	300 ft (91.4 m) (p/p)
Beam	56 ft (17.1 m)
Draught	24 ft (7.3 m)
Installed power	8,500 ihp (6,300 kW) 4 × boilers
Propulsion	2 shafts 2 × Triple-expansion steam engines
Speed	18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Range	8,000 nmi (15,000 km; 9,200 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement	484
Armament	2 × single BL 9.2-inch (234 mm) Mk V guns 10 × single BL 6-inch (152 mm) guns 6 × single QF 6-pounder (57 mm) Hotchkiss guns 10 × single QF 3 pounder (47 mm) Hotchkiss guns 6 × 18-inch (450 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Waterline belt: 10 in (254 mm) Deck: 2–3 in (51–76 mm) Conning tower: 12 in (305 mm) Bulkheads: 16 in (406 mm)

HMS Australia was one of seven Orlando-class armoured cruisers built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1880s. She was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1889 and remained there until 1893 when she returned home. The ship was assigned to the Coast Guard Squadron for the next decade before she was placed in reserve in 1903. Australia was sold for scrap in 1905.