Colonial navies of Australia

An artist's impression of the ironclad HMVS Cerberus (left) and the training ship HMVS Nelson (right). The Victorian naval force was considered the most powerful of all the colonial naval forces.

Before Federation in 1901 five of the six separate colonies maintained their own naval forces for defence. The colonial navies were supported by the ships of the Royal Navy's Australian Station which was established in 1859. The separate colonies maintained control over their respective navies until 1 March 1901, when the Commonwealth Naval Forces was created.