Year
1908
Description
On 11 September 16 American battleships, their hulls painted white, entered King George Sound, with one British cruiser. This was part of an exercise to display to Australia, New Zealand and Japan (then allied to the British), their awareness of Japanese interests in the Pacific.
A 21-gun salute by the Americans at 8am, with responses by the H.M.S. ‘Gibraltar’ and Albany Forts guns, startled and delighted the town and the nearly 4,000 visitors who had arrived by train.
They stayed for six days and the town hosted over 15,000 sailors.
Three colliers accompanying the fleet were supplemented by Newcastle (England) coal from Albany hulks.
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