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THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA INC

NEWSLETTER JANUARY 2007

PROGRAM OF EVENTS All Meetings begin at 7 pm for a 7. 30 start.

St Margaret Church Hall Cnr Gunbower St and the Promenade Mt Pleasant

Mon 12th Feb. The Nelson Centenary of 1905 — David Shannon Mon 19th March. AGM and The Woman in Nelson’s Life — Lilian Toomer Mon 14th May. Admiral Collingwood — Mike Sargeant

PLEASE BRING A PLATE FOR SUPPER

Nelson’s Column - photo by Ted Collinson

The Nelson Society of Australia. Newsletter, Jan 2007

Mr Jones, Mike Sargeant, Commander Jones, and his wife Mrs Terrie Jones

THE BIG DAY AT HMAS STIRLING GARDEN ISLAND

The Nelson Society of Australia. Jan 2007

When the Nelson Society of Australia was set up in late 2000 it became apparent to the founders that this country's Republican aspirations were as strongly reflected in Naval circles as elsewhere. There was a desire in certain quarters to establish the Royal Australian Navy's own identity and to apparently shake off the mother country's historic influence. The legacy of Lord Nelson was felt to be something of a victim of these sentiments as The Trafalgar anniversary and Nelson's death were no longer events recognised in the Naval calendar. The Society heard that in at least one instance, a Com-manding Officer was specifically for-bidden by Naval Headquarters to re-establish the traditional Wardroom Trafalgar Dinner Night in his estab-lishment. Furthermore, during the 3 years that I was a member of the Australia Navy League I was refused permission to address the membership on the Society's formation and also denied the League's membership list for re-cruiting purposes. However, fortu-nately a subsequent Chairman has not only joined the Society but has also made a handsome and much appreciated donation. For the first three years of the Society's existence the Australian Naval Cadets enthusiastically took part in the Annual outdoor Memorial Service. They provided a Guard and Band and gave an arena display. Unfortunately a change in command in 2004 resulted in the withdrawal of the Cadets from the event and I was also informed that a Nelson presentation I was to give at the Cadet's annual camp would no longer be required. Happily with a further change incommand, the Cadets have again participated in this year's Memorial Service. It was within this atmosphere that Society member Ron Ingham, a retired Royal Australian Naval Officer, felt that steps should be taken to ensure that the Royal Australian Navy should retain his Lordshjp's legacy of leadership and human qualities. Ron is himself a supporter of the Republican movement as well as being a Nelson enthusiast. He proposed the idea of the Society sponsoring an award to the Royal Australian Navy, which would revitalise interest in Nelson's career and would help to perpetuate his Immortal Memory within the RAN. He proposed that a Naval Officer's ceremonial sword, to be known as the "SWORD of EXCELLENCE", be awarded annually in perpetuity to the

Naval Officer who each year had displayed the highest qualities of leadership consistent with the standards set by Lord Nelson. The then Commanding Officer of HMAS STRLING, who was

also a Society Member, was approached for his opinion on the project. His immediate reaction was very positive although he warned that it might not be acceptable to some members of the hierarchy. However, he agreed to put out feelers. . Fortunately the timing of the proposal proved to be auspicious and within a fortnight the society received approval in principal to the suggestion from the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral C A Ritchie AO RAN. This was later con-firmed by his successor Vice Admiral R E Shalders AO CSC RAN. Buoyed with this acceptance Ron Ingham set about approaching Naval Contractors to no avail. He received much praise-worthy assistance from his brother, Alan, an associate of the Managing Director of Barminco Limited, Mr Peter Bartlett, which resulted the latter un-dertaking to meet the entire cost of the project, to the sum of $6765.85.

Suggested criteria for the Award were then submitted to the Chief of Navy stating that the SWORD of EXCELLENCE was to be awarded to the Officer who in the preceding year had displayed the highest qualities of leadership in accordance with the standards set by Lord Nelson and that the name of the recipient should be engraved on the Sword. The Navy, with the added requirement that applicants should be required to have undertaken sea service, accepted this. These details and the procedure for submitting an application for the award were then signalled throughout the Fleet and confirmed in Defence Orders. The Sword and its accoutrements were purchased from Wilkinson's of London and a glass cabinet was constructed for its display. The Sword was then presented to Lieutenant Commander Tony Young, the HMAS STIRLING Wardroom Mess President, for safe custody on 19 October 2005. On Sunday 23 October 2005 at the 5th Annual Service of Memorial, held at St George's Cathedral Perth, the Dean, The Very Reverend Dr John Shepherd, dedicated the sword and Commodore Ric Shalders, Senior Naval Officer West Australia, accepted it from the Society on behalf of the Royal Australian Navy.

REVITALISING AND PERPETUATING THE "IMMORTAL MEMORY" IN THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY. by Graham Perkins


Commander Justin Jones first recipient of the Sword of Excellence

In 2006 the selection process for the first award of the sword was undertaken throughout the Royal Australian Navy world-wide. On 13 September the Society was informed that the Chief of Navy, had approved the recommendation that Commander Justin Gerrard Jones RAN would be the first recipient. The citation accompanying the award: Commander Jones has demonstrated superior leadership qualities over a sustained and demanding period during operational deployment in the Middle East Area in support of operations involving the training and deployment of Iraqi naval personnel. His leadership, mentoring and exemplary regard for others made him thoroughly deserving of this award. The Society was further advised that Commander Jones would in addition receive the Chief of Navy's Gold Award commendation, carrying with it a uniform badge. It was arranged that the presentation of the sword by Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas RAN, Maritime Commander Australia, would take place at HMAS STIRLING on Thursday 19 October. The Presentation was staged on the Quarter Deck, which in HMAS STIRLING is dominated by a large statue of Captain James Stirling. Naval units and submarines at adjacent quays and moorings provided the impressive backdrop to the presentation dais. The Australian National Flag, the Royal Australian Navy White Ensign and the Society's own Bowman Flag, completed the scene and nearly a hundred people provided an interested audience.

The ceremony commenced with Society Chairman, Michael Sargeant, stating that when member Ron Ingham had in i t ia l ly approached him with his idea of the presentation of the Sword of Excellence, he had considered it an

eminently worthwhile project but he doubted the Society's financial ability to proceed with it. He explained that Ron had been undeterred and with the assistance of his brother, Alan, had found Mr Peter Bartlett of Barminco Limited to under write the venture. The Chairman spoke about contribution that Britain's domination of the seas earned by Nelson's victories had made towards the peaceful colonisation of Australia and that otherwise it may well have been the French or even the Dutch who colonised Australia. His concluding remarks were

that the Society was proud to have forged a perpetual link with the Royal Australian Navy through the SWORD of EXCELLENCE. Mr Alan Ingham then spoke on behalf of Mr Peter Bartlett. He stated that the Barminco Limited Company was proud to sponsor this project, which had been designed to uphold the traditions of Lord Nelson and to forge links between the Nelson Society of Australia and the Royal Australian Navy.

Rear Admiral Thomas AM CSC RAN delivered a stirring address prior to presenting Commander Jones with the SWORD of EXCELLENCE. He proposed that if the story of Nelson's life had been produced as a work of fiction it would have been dismissed as being far fetched. He said that Nelson's famous victories and unending catalogue of actions, skirmishes and raids indicated that he enjoyed a good fight and the more violent it was the better. He said that Lord Nelson still remained a three-dimensional character even two hundred years after his death, perhaps because his many sterling qualities were offset by a few human failings. Admiral Thomas thanked Barminco for their financial support and the Nelson Society of Australia for their outstanding initiative in setting up the award and in particular he thanked Ron Ingham as the Society's driving force who had worked so hard with the Naval staff to make the arrangements for the Presentation ceremony. Turning to Commander Jones, Admiral Thomas announced that he had been selected for the award from

Rear Admiral Thomas, Commander Justin Jones

Mr Mike Sargeant

Mr Alan Ingham

Commander Paul Bartlet HMS Stirling and Maritime Commander, Rear Admiral Thomas


On 22 October he attended the Society's 6th Annual Ser-vice of Memorial and Thanksgiving in St George's Cathedral. The Bowman Flag draped the altar throughout the Service and Commander Jones, assisted by Cadet Midshipman Chris Smoje ANC, honoured the Society by performing its traditional Act of Homage to his Lordship by placing on his statuette a replica of the Gold Medal which was awarded posthumously to him This medal is a recent award to the Nelson Society of Australia by the UK Nelson Society for its contribution to the Bicentenary celebrations. The Society's Chaplain The Reverend Tim Harrison gave the address and Society Patron, Commodore David Orr RAN Ret, and Midshipman Smoje read the lessons. The Memorial Service was followed by a Reception in the

Cathedral Hall, for a hundred and fifty Society members and their family and friends. The Reception included a short ad-dress by the Society Chairman Michael Sargeant and the Society Founder Graham Perkins proposed the toast to the Immortal Memory. Commander Jones then requested that he might address the gathering and he concluded his remarks by saying that the project had revitalised the legacy of Nelson and perpetuated his I m m o r t a l M e m o r y throughout the Royal Austra-lian Navy. (for the full address see page 8). The Society's-aims were thus fulfilled by the words of the Sword's first recipient.

a number of highly competitive nominations. He had won through because he not only fully met the criteria of leader-ship and human attributes the award required but because he had also demonstrated exceptional management attributes and innovative tactical planning during his training and men-toring of the Iraqi Navy. A loud recording of a peal from the St Martin in the Fields London bells concluded the presentation. These bells pealed in what is now Trafalgar Square to announce Nelson's Trafalgar Victory and then were later tolled for his Lordship's funeral. These same bells are now housed in the Bell Tower on the Swan River in Perth and are an iconic symbol for the Nelson Society of Australia. An unexpected aside to the ceremony was the interest Rear Admiral Thomas and other officers showed in the Bowman flag and its significance in Australia's early history. None of them had previously even been aware of its existence! The Society will shortly present copies of the illuminated address of the Flag, together with an account of its history to Admiral Thomas, Commander Jones and the other senior officers. The Society members left HMAS STIRLING feeling exhilarated and certain that the SWORD of EXCELLENCE project was an unqualified success. It has already revived considerable interest in his Lordship throughout the Royal Australian Navy as had initially been intended. Furthermore, the annual call for candidates and the selection procedure, together with the award ceremonies and the events surrounding its presentation each year, will add to perpetuate the Immortal Memory in future generations of Naval officers. One senior officer remarked to Commander Jones whilst examining his name on the blade, that it would be fitting if perhaps one day he might return to Stirling as a Flag Officer himself to present The Sword to a future recipient. Thus are modem Naval traditions forged. The following day, the 20 October, Commander Jones was the Guest of Honour at the West Australian Retired Na-val Officers’ 12th Trafalgar Luncheon and that evening, accompanied by his wife Terrie, he was the Guest of Honour at the Royal Naval Association's 20th Annual Trafalgar Dinner where he was presented with a memento of his award.


It is an undeniable truism that our present, and the future to come, have been shaped and directed by the circumstances and events of the past. What we are, how we live, that society in which we exist, are all the products of countless historical influences and factors, some easily recognisable others lost in the passage of time. So it is worth remembering that the rule of existence also applied to the life of Vice Admiral Viscount Lord Horatio Nelson whose exploits and achievements of over 200 years ago we gather together this afternoon in the years 2006, to remember, honour and from which to draw inspiration. The three exceptional victories of the Nile, Copenhagen and Trafalgar would not have been possible without the vision and foresight of individuals who had created the fleet under his command. In particular, Nelson was the beneficiary of two valuable legacies, which allied with his outstanding qualities of leadership and grasp of contemporary Naval Warfare Tactics, ensured his supremacy over any enemy he encountered in his years at sea. The first bequest from 200 years before - the same time span as we today look back to Nelson - was that of Charles

NELSON MEMORIAL SERVICE ST GEORGES CATHEDRAL An abridged version of the Sermon by The Rev. Tim Harrison.

UNCLAS SUBJ: WINNER OF THE ADMIRAL NELSON SWORD OF EXCELLENCE 2006 A. MCAUST W AK 290036Z MAY 06 1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT CN HAS APPROVED THE SELECTION OF CMDR J.G. JONES RAN AS THE WINNER OF THE INAUGURAL VICE ADMIRAL VISCOUNT LORD N E L S O N KB TRAFALGAR BICENTENNIAL SWORD OF EXCELLENCE. 2. THIS PRESTIGIOUS NEW AWARD, WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED AT THE REFERENCE, ATTRACTED A NUMBER OF HIGHLY COMPETITIVE NOMINATIONS. IN RECOMMENDING CMDR JONES TO CN, I TOOK INTO ACCOUNT HIS OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP OVER A SUSTAINED AND DEMANDING PERIOD; HIS PERSONAL INVESTMENT IN THE MENTORING OF HIS SUBORDINATES, AND DEDICATION TO THEIR WELFARE; HIS EXCEPTIONAL APPLICATION OF PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT SKILLS, AND SUPERIOR STAFFWORK; HIS ABILITY TO INFLUENCE WIDER STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES, THROUGH HIS INITIATIVE IN PROVIDING TRAINING AND MENTORING TO THE IRAQI NAVY; AND HIS SEA SERVICE, BOTH RECENTLY AND OVER HIS CAREER. 3. THIS AWARD NOT ONLY RECOGNISES INDIVIDUAL EXCELLENCE, BUT ALSO REINFORCES OUR SENSE OF COMMUNITY BY HONOURING THE TRADITIONS OF LEADERSHIP TO WHICH ADMIRAL NELSON MADE SUCH AN EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION. 4. THE INAUGURAL PRESENTATION OF THE ADMIRAL NELSON SWORD OF EXCELLENCE WILL TAKE PLACE ON 190CT06 AT 1000 ON THE QUARTERDECK, HMAS STIRLING. BT

page 6 The Nelson Society of Australia. Newsletter, Jan 2007

Howard of Effingham, Queen Elizabeth I’s Lord Admiral in 1586. In the years preceding the advent of the Spanish Armada he had overseen the radical shift in the design and construction of ships of war. No longer were enemy ships to be taken by boarding parties but to be reduced and sunk by the concentrated fire of cannon - the broad-side, a weapon which was to give Britain the control of oceans and seas of the world, as once the English long-bow had dominated the battlefield of medieval Europe. The second priceless inheritance was the coming into being of a professional Navy. The creation of such a body was symbolised by the likes of Frobisher; Hawkins and Drake. But it required the efforts of Samuel Pepys as Secretary to the Admiralty in 1688, to introduce examinations for aspiring Naval officers. In the fullness of time this ensured the fleet Commander and Captain would no longer be landlubber royal or political appointees but a professional body from whom Nelson could create his ‘band of brothers’. These Captains were worthy of the men they com-manded. They understood and cared for their seaman who in turn gave him loyalty and willing service.

……………….Today as we remember Nelson and his times, we can take the opportunity to recognise that in history a body of knowledge has been built up, which, sensibly consulted, can help us to make fruitful judgments and decisions, drawing upon the wisdom of the past as if it were a reservoir not a set of rules and ordinances and accepting that lessons of the past are valuable only if they are applied to the present with sensitivity, flexibility and above all with Grace.

Without attempting to recreate the past but drawing inspiration from the accumulated knowledge and experi-ence of our forebears, we seek God’s help to change to take up the challenge by responding to the plight of the world of our age with its widespread conflict and massive injustice. As we leave this sacred place it is worth calling to mind a naval engagement out of which a simple demonstration of trust and loyalty emerged to confront a world which so often is swift and relentless to seek revenue and retribution. Sixty six years have passed since July 4th 1940, when dictated by strategic necessity, a British Naval Squadron including the Hood, Valiant and Resolution, fired with accurate and devastating effect upon a fleet of French warships

lying at anchor in the North African port of Oran to prevent their possible deployment of the Axis forces then overwhelmingly triumphant in mainland Europe. Only one major French vessel the Strasbourg, although sustaining damage and numerous casualties managed to escape and reach the safety of Toulon. Amongst the dead were two young matelots whose homes were in that port. At their separate funerals their families insisted that the coffins were to be draped with both the Union Jack and the Tricolour, a gesture which led Winston Churchill to write: In this act we may see how the comprehending spirit of simple folk touched the sublime. This should serve as an inspiration to us when honouring a great naval hero of our history. It reminds us of the fact that it is the actions of unremarkable people of the world, even in their darkest hour of anguish and distress, that provides the inspiration and moral courage to forgive and to reconcile and to play a part in the shaping and fashioning of the present and future of generations not yet born. This gives them a present and future in which the vision of a society offered by Jesus Christ can become a reality. Amen.

So the pages of history turned, Nelson, taking full advantage of what the past provided. He dramatically and radically influenced the world of his age and in so doing shaped our world of today. If nothing else we are reminded of this, here in Perth, Western Australia, which did not exist at the time of his death. At the latest count, there are no less than nine streets, roads and avenues named after Nelson, four bear-ing the name Trafalgar. There are more subtle legacies, from the victory of Trafalgar and ten years later the field of Waterloo. The British citizen came to regard as one of the b a s i c f r e e d o m s o f a democratic country, that as compared to his European contemporary counterpart, he was totally exempt from any compulsion to train for or be called upon for the defence of his country. In no way could he be expected to serve and fight in an overseas campaign at the dictate of Parliament, a perceived freedom which exacted a terrible penalty in human lives when, in two World Wars an inadequately prepared Commonwealth had to learn again very quickly how to wage war on a continental and global scale. It is for that elusive freedom, we have to take up arms so that we can continue to try and create the society in which individuals can live out their lives in peace; security and justice. For Nelson and Wellington, and in our living memories Sommerville and Montgomery and the nation they represented, their objective was clear. Napoleon and Hitler represented the threat of evil which had to be eliminated. For us in the 21st century the task seems so very different and difficult. No longer is it clearly defined with the issues involved clouded and totally lacking an identified goal. Consequently we can so easily fall back into the pit of despondency, thinking that our human endeavour is futile and that life with all its inevitabilities is pre-determined. We believe that we have become the victims of circumstances peculiar to the 21st century. But the reality is that each generation faces some challenges, though dressed and presented in very different forms.


ST GEORGES CATHEDRAL, NELSON MEMORIAL SERVICE


THANK YOU SPEECH GIVEN BY COMMANDER JUSTIN JONES RAN Distinguished Members of the Nelson Society, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have remained very quiet over the last four days, waiting for an opportune moment to say a few words. This may not be that time, however I depart this evening and my conscience will not allow me to leave the state without saying a few words of thanks. If you will humour me, I would like to begin with a short anecdote. This morning I was reading through the literature that Betty Foster kindly gave to me detailing the life of her husband John's ancestor, Captain Cass Halliday, the Master of the Orion at the Battle of Trafalgar. I noticed that the Captain of Orion during the battle was Captain Edward Codrington. In my own research for a Trafalgar Night speech that I gave in Singapore on the Bicentenary of Trafalgar, while en route to the Persian Gulf last year, I came across that very name and here is the story. During the pomp and splendour of Nelson's funeral in London in January 1806, the casket was to be lowered into the crypt by four sailors of the Royal Navy. However, prior to lowering the casket, they each grabbed a piece of the ensign that was draped over it and tore a bit off, shoving the piece into their tunics before duly lowering the casket. This caused quite a commotion amidst the ceremony of the occasion. However, it prompted Jane Codrington (wife of Captain Codrington) to remark: "now that was Nelson, the rest was all the Herald's office." I couldn't help but agree that his death did not seem to extinguish the 'Nelson touch'. For my own part, to be in receipt of an award carrying Nelson's name is humbling to say the least. If I manage half of the human touch that Nelson did then I will be a happy man. My thanks to the Nelson Society and to Barminco Mining for initiating this award that will encourage and reward leadership in the Navy for years to come. I was grateful that Admiral Thomas mentioned my wife Terrie in his presentation speech on Thursday. Without doubt, were it not for her and the support of my family I would not be standing here before you today. It would also be remiss of me not to mention the superb Ship's Company of HMAS PARRAMATTA. You are all in safe hands; if they are any indication of the state of your Navy then you can rest assured. They represent everything that is good about this great nation of ours. Finally, I would like to thank you all sincerely for the last few days. The kindness shown to Terrie and I by all of you has been overwhelming. I can safely say that I will never forget the last few days. Thank you once again.

The History I studied in secondary schooling did not cover the battle of Trafalgar or Nelson, but merely covered events such as the French Revolution. Nor do I have a Navy background. As a result, I had no detailed knowledge of Horatio Nelson when, in 2004, in the lead up to the Trafalgar Bicentenary last year, I joined the Nelson Society of Australia. The subject of this Toast is the Immortal Memory. On joining the Society, I was intrigued why Nelson has an Immortal Memory. Since joining, I have heard many learned speeches on Nelson from experts and I have started collecting books on Nelson. I realise that I have a very long way to go to reach the over 1,000 books and articles collected by David Shannon, and to reach the level of knowledge about Nelson possessed by David Shannon, our life-time President Graham Perkins, our President Mike Sargeant, our Secretary Bob Woollett, our Chaplain the Rev Tim Harrison, and many others in our Society. Nevertheless, as Nelson was, and is, the hero of the ordinary man and woman, I trust that you will allow me, as a non-expert on Nelson, to offer some views on Nelson in support of this Toast. I gratefully acknowledge the principal source of my comments which is the book Nelson’s Way by Dr Stephanie Jones and Professor Jonathan Gosling , published last year. People who die, especially in the course of their chosen field, at the prime of their life, in unexpected circumstances, capture our imagination in a dramatic way, especially if the person is a celebrity personality. Prominent in history there have been: the assassinated President Abraham Lincoln, the assassinated President John Kennedy, the accidental death of Princess Diana, the deaths of Marilyn Monroe, E. Presley and J. Lennon, and this year in Australia, Steve Irwin and Peter Brock in Perth, with his two-hour funeral just held, Wally Foreman. Patriotism is regarded as the greatest virtue, and where this is an important feature of the death, this leads to even greater recognition of the person, e.g. the Anzacs at Gallipoli, and loved ones in our families who have died in the Wars. A unique person in this group is Horatio Nelson who died a heroic death at the moment of the great naval victory at Trafalgar, the world’s greatest sea battle, a victory which saved England from a French invasion and which ensured naval pre-eminence for the Royal Navy for the next century. Nelson’s many feats and accomplishments and his courageous style of dynamic leadership ensure that his is the Immortal Memory. Immortal Memory was something to be striven for in the time of Nelson. The first reference I have found to Nelson’s Immortal Memory

HORATIO LORD NELSON THE IMMORTAL MEMORY by Rob O’Connor QC at the Pickle Night Dinner 10 November 2006

is in a letter written to N e l s o n b y S i r William Hamilton in 1798 in Naples just after the Battle of the Nile. Before quoting that, I will, as a matter of interest, quote f r o m E m m a Hamilton’s letter written to Nelson at the same time. At that stage, Nelson and Emma had met only once before, five years earlier: “My dear, dear Sir, how shall I begin, what shall I say to you – tis impossible I can write, for since last Monday I am delirious with joy, and assure you I have a fevour caus’d by agitation and pleasure. Good God, what a victory – never never has their been anything half so glorious, so compleat. I fainted when I heard the joyfull news, and fell on my side and am hurt, but what of that – I should feil it a glory to die in such a cause – no, I would not like to die till I see and embrace the victor of the Nile. How shall I describe the transports of the Maria Carolina [the Queen of Naples] – tis not possible – she fainted, cried, kiss’d her Husband, her children, walked frantic with pleasure about the room, cried kiss’s, and embraced every person near her, exclaiming, oh brave nelson, oh God bless and protect our Brave deliverer, oh nelson nelson, what do we not owe to you, oh victor saviour of itali.” That is part of a 4-page letter, all written in that gushing style. Sir William Hamilton himself wrote as follows – “History ancient or modern does not record an action that does more honour to the heroes that gained the Victory than the late one of the first of August. You have now made yourself, my dear Nelson, Immortal. God be praised! And may you live long to enjoy the sweet Satisfaction of having added such Glory to our Country, and most probably put an end to the Confusion and Misery in which all Europe would soon have been in-volved. You may well conceive, my dear Sir, how happy Emma and I are in the reflection that it is you, Nelson, our bosom Friend, that has done such wondrous good in having humbled these proud robbers and vain boasters. A pleasant apartment is ready for you in my House, and Emma is looking out for the softest pillows to repose the few wearied limbs you have left.” In June 1797, when Nelson was in control of the Theseus, the ship’s crew signed the following message


and the Bible. Biographies of Nelson, in telling the story of his battles , quote his versions, and add to his Immortal Memory. He was ahead of his time in his media-savvy approach to public relations. He gave interviews to the Press and leaked his own accounts of battles, competing with his superiors. Nelson wrote over a thousand letters, made tours in both Naples and England where people flocked to see him and hear his speeches, he had memorabilia made of himself, and he widely distributed copies of his achievements for people to read. He fostered patrons, the first of whom was his uncle William Suckling, and they furthered his naval career and promoted his interests. Another useful connection was made in 1782 at New York, at age 24, with Prince William Henry, the future King William IV, who said this of Nelson - “ the merest boy of a captain I ever beheld; and

his dress was worthy of attention. He had on a full lace uniform: his lank unpowdered hair was tied in a stiff Hessian tail of an extraordinary length; the old-fashioned flaps of his waistcoat added to the general quaintness of his figure. There was something irresistably pleasing in his address and conversation; and an enthusiasm, when speaking on professional subjects, that showed he was no common being. ”

Nelson certainly did a lot of talking the talk, but the big difference with him was that he also walked the talk. From early times, Nelson deliberately strove to be a hero and to display courage. While he was on the Carcass in 1773, he attacked a 7 feet high polar bear in the Arctic when he was 14, so that he could bring home to his father the bear’s skin in the expectation of impressing his father, the acknowledgement of his bravery being something he strongly desired even at that age. When he was sick with fever from malaria in 1774 , at the age of 16, the “golden orb” incident occurred while on the Dolphin, on a return voyage from India. Nelson resolved to achieve heroism in his life, writing – After a long and gloomy reverie, in which I

almost wished myself overboard, a sudden glow of patriotism was kindled within me, and presented my king and country as my patron; my mind exulted in the idea. ‘Well then’, I exclaimed, ‘I will be a hero, and confiding in Providence, I will brave every danger’.

There is also the episode in 1777 when, aged 19, he was on the Lowestoff off the American coast under Captain William Locker where, in answer to the captain’s challenge “Have I no officer in the ship who can board the prize?”, Nelson, a second-lieutenant, volunteered to board and capture the American brig as a prize in a fierce

and left it on the quarterdeck where Nelson walked every night. Success attend Admiral Nelson! God bless Captain Miller! We are happy and comfortable, and will shed every drop of blood in our veins so that the name of the Theseus shall be immortalised as high as the Captain’s Another person who said to Nelson that he was Immortal was Lord Spencer, the First Lord of the Admiralty, who wrote as follows in 1798 after the victory at the Nile – Joy, joy, joy to you brave, gallant, immortalised Nel-

son! May the great God, whose cause you so val-iantly support, protect and bless you …this mo-ment the guns are firing, illuminations are preparing, your gallant name is echoed from street to street, and every Briton feels his obligation to you.

In 1806, as Nelson’s coffin began to sink slowly into its crypt in St Paul’s Cathedral, the Chief Herald read Nelson’s full titles and ended with the words: “The hero, who in the moment of victory, fell covered with immortal glory”. From his early teens, Nelson was commanding boats and cutters with up to 20 oarsmen. From the age of 18, he was in charge of a watch and took command of ships taken as prizes. By 21, he was a captain, responsible for hundreds of men. By his last campaign (1805), he was ordering the destiny of 40 ships and tens of thousands of men. Through his close network of captains (his band of brothers), he was responsible for the men in battle and responsible for feeding them, keeping up their morale and maintaining their ships in fighting trim for years at a time. Nelson had great naval victories at Cape St Vincent 1797, the Nile campaign 1798 (which secured the Nelson legend), the Battle of Copenhagen 1801, and Trafalgar 1805. The brilliant successes prior to Trafalgar led to Nelson becoming a household name in England. England was fearful of invasion and looked for, and needed, a hero. Nelson is recognised as a man of contradictions, flaws and weaknesses. Because of this, he was not only Superman, but also Everyman. His flaws included his vanity, his affair with Emma Hamilton, and his rejection of his wife Frances (Fanny) Nisbet. It was his vanity which is one of the principal reasons why he is now the Immortal Memory. Nelson did much to promote and publicise his own achievements. He was a master in public relations in furthering his reputation. For example, the leader of the St Vincent battle in 1797 Sir John Jervis (later Earl St Vincent) in his official version of the battle made no mention of the part played by Nelson, although Nelson initiated the main attack and captured two Spanish ships. Nelson remedied this by writing and distributing his own version of the battle, which highlighted his decisive involvement in the victory. Nelson’s writing style was vivid, colourful, racy and breathless, and peppered with quotations from Shakespeare


signalling, for we all know what we have to do. His larger than life story reads so well because he wrote it in his letters as he lived it. Nelson won the hearts of ordinary people, both on land and at sea. He went on tour in England and worked the crowds. He cared about individuals; he remembered the names, faces and characteristics of hundreds of sailors. He visited sailors in hospital. He wrote to their mothers. He was no patrician and no aristocrat. His death plunged his officers and men, and the nation, into mourning for a classless everyman’s hero. Nelson’s instinctive sympathy with the common man was a huge professional asset in the post - 1797 Navy where every thinking officer could see that discipline had to be rebuilt on a new footing, but few admirals had any idea how to go about it. In January 1797 Nelson quelled a possible mutiny on the Blanche when the ship’s company at first refused to serve under Captain Hotham. Admirals have to be managers as well as leaders. A squadron of warships, especially one operating in hostile waters far from support, is a complex organisation and a major management challenge. Military operations present further management difficulties – and an 18th century admiral had very few staff to help him. Nelson was equally outstanding as a manager and as a leader, which was an unusual combination among British admirals of the day. Nelson’s main and over-riding creed was duty, and he in-stilled that in all those serving below him. Just before dying on the Victory, Nelson had the satisfaction and contentment of being able to say: “At least I have done my duty”. In doing so, he paid the ultimate sacrifice, the giving of his own life. Such was the esteem and adulation in which he was held that his body was placed in a barrel of brandy and taken back to England, the journey to Portsmouth taking 45 days. Nelson’s body arrived at Greenwich 19 days later. After lying in state for three days in the Painted Hall at Greenwich, his body was taken in a funeral procession along the River Thames from Greenwich to Whitehall Stairs, London. A further procession was then held the next day, lasting two hours, from the Admiralty to St Paul’s Cathedral, where a four-hour funeral service took place. When Nelson’s coffin was being laid in the crypt, the normally strongly disciplined sailors of the Victory were so overcome with grief that they tore part of the ensign covering the coffin into dozens of pieces as souvenirs of the moment and the occasion, before casting the remainder of the flag into the crypt. Now, 201 years later, we still honour and revere Nelson for all that he was, and for all that he did, and this will continue for evermore. Nelson is indeed the truly Immortal Memory. Ladies and Gentlemen, in traditional naval style, would you please stand and drink the Toast in silence to Horatio Lord Nelson “The Immortal Memory”. ROB O’CONNOR QC

storm of driving rain, gales, and heavy seas. The storm worsened, and Nelson and the American brig disappeared for four days, but Nelson made it back to Port Royal at Jamaica with his capture , and was able to reveal to his masters very helpful practical information which he had gained as to the future plans of the French in their battles at that time against Britain. Nelson built on a series of heroic exploits to win the hearts of his men, his officers and the people of Britain at a time of great fear and threat of invasion by Napoleon. Nelson was the man of the moment. His personal ambition was exactly aligned with the needs of the country. With only the strength and reputation of the Navy as protection, Britain fought against most of Europe, with Napoleon at the height of his powers. The British needed to focus on a hero to rally their spirits and morale. There were other gallant officers at sea, and others who had won major fleet actions, but none had Nelson’s personality, commitment, visibility, courage and ability to inspire. Nelson was an outstanding leader of men. In his younger days at sea, he made mistakes. His self-confidence matured more quickly than his judgement. But, unlike others, he greatly im-proved as he grew older and more senior, he learnt continually and matured the qualities that he needed for high command. Those who make good lieutenants do not necessarily make good captains or admirals. People are promoted beyond their capabilities [the Peter Principle]. But Nelson was a better lieutenant than captain, and he was a better admiral than he was lieutenant. He led by example. Until he lost his right eye at Calvi in 1794 and his right arm at Tenerife in 1797 , Nelson was in the vanguard of the physical fighting. On the Victory at Trafalgar, even though he had lost his right eye and his right arm, he proudly was on the deck in his uniform wearing all his medals leading from the front, thereby making himself a marked man for a French sniper.His approach to naval tactics was not new, but their execution was devastating, and in his battles the en-emy was, not just defeated, but annihilated. Nevertheless, he revolutionised war at sea. Nelson spoke, wrote and even made signals in sound bites, such as the famous one at Trafalgar “England expects that every man will do his duty”, which was not just for his men, it was a message for posterity. Until Nelson’s time, messages for the fleet were passed by the raising of flags, ship by ship, resulting in long delays occurring in the transmission of orders. Nelson’s method was to mix, and dine personally, with his fellow leaders and officers, his ‘band of brothers’, in the days leading up to the battles, discussing and explaining tactics, so that when the battle began, every captain knew what role he had to play. This was the Nelson Touch .Nelson gave them the freedom and in-dependence to do what they knew they had to do in whatever way they believed was necessary to achieve, so much so that when he hoisted the message “England expects that every man will do his duty”, his second-in-command Vice-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood said crossly “I wish Nelson would stop


PICKLE NIGHT DINNER 10 NOVEMBER 2006

FROM: The Nelson Society of Australia, Perth, Western Australia TO: The New York City Pickle Night Dinner, New York Yacht Club DATE: 23 October 2006

“I have urgent dispatches” (HM Schooner Pickle, off Falmouth,

4 November 1805)

Greetings from Down Under and Best Wishes for a convivial and successful evening

on Friday 3 November 2006, from the Committee and Members of the Nelson Society of Australia.

FROM: The New York Yacht Club New york Pickle Night Committee TO: The Nelson Society of Australia, Perth Western Australia

With recognition of common values and shared experiences in the defense

of those values, we challenge the tyranny of distance

and stand beside you tonight to raise a glass to the ‘Immortal Memory’

We thank you for your warm greetings. We are better for your friendship

EXCHANGE OF PICKLE NIGHT GREETINGS FROM ACROSS THE SEAS


TRAFALGAR TO FALMOUTH IN THE PICKLE a talk by Betty Foster given during the Pickle Night Dinner 10th November 2006

Tennyson once wrote ‘How dull it is to pause to rest, to rust unburnished, not to shine in use as though to breathe were life” This could not be said of the crew on the schooner Pickle. On researching for this short talk I was amazed at the incredible number of emotions the crew experienced in those tumultuous days. Just imagine: the tenseness and excitement of the build up to the Battle the patriotic feeling towards their country when asked to do their duty by Nelson, the frustration of watching the battle as spectators the horror of seeing men and ships blown to bits the fatigue, anxiety and distress on the cessation of fighting the relief and exhilaration on realising there had been a great victory the overwhelming sadness on learning of the death of Nelson the feeling of good will for their fellow man when rescuing the enemy sailors the fear of overloading the ship with over 120 prisoners the disgust and anger when some of those rescued tried to take over the schooner the utter delight in rescuing of a damsel in distress and a naked one at that — every man’s school boy fantasy! the vulnerability of their position in small ship during the great storms that followed and finally the enormous pride when the Pickle was chosen to take the news to England. The directive for Captain Lapenontiere in HM Schooner Pickle was given by Cuthbert Collingwood Vice Admiral of the Blue five days after the Battle. It was short and concise. Part of it reads; You are hereby required, and directed, to proceed in His Majesty's Schooner under your command, and on your arrival at Ply-mouth, you are immediately to forward the accompanying dispatches to the Secretary of the Admiralty. 26th OCTOBER 1805 The Pickle's log recorded simply, at noon, the boat returned — in boat and made sail for England. In ship’s logs, emotions are silent, words never put to paper. A winter passage across the Bay of Biscay was never going to be easy. Enemy warships were still in the area that Pickle was to cross, particularly the four that had been led away from the battle by Admiral Dumanoir. Lapenotiere knew that his greatest enemy was the weather. Sunday 27 At noon Pickle was off Cape St Mary, where the leadsman lost his grip in the tumbling seas and, for the second time in two days, dropped a deep sea lead and ninety fathoms of line overboard. Monday 28 The weather was little changed and at times Pickle was making scarcely a knot through the water, when about noon as Lapenotiere neared Cape St Vincent, a strange sail was sighted. This vessel was sailing on a course to intercept, but as yet could not be identified as friend or foe. Lapenotiere prudently ordered more sail to be set to keep the Pickle moving. At this point in time, the Pickle now becomes instrumental in the news of Trafalgar reaching Australia. In the past, the naval historians contended that the strange sail was the brig HMS Nautilus commanded by Captain Sykes but this is now in question. A recent find was made by historians for the Woolahra NSW History and Heritage Society when researching how to celebrate the 200 years of the arrival of the news in Sydney. In the archives they discovered a Newspaper from Cape Town dated Jan 26th 1806 in which a Captain Higgenson of the American sloop Laura tells of meeting up with the Pickle on the 28 October and hearing from the Captain himself the results of the Battle but Higgenson’s meeting was not mentioned in Pickle’s Log!. However Sykes in his log of Nautilus wrote that he had boarded the Laura at 2pm on the 28th October one and a half hours before the Nautilus met up with the Pickle. and two hours after the strange sail was sighted. So the Naval historians may have got it wrong. It seems as if Sykes received the news first from the Laura, and must have then gone looking for the Pickle to confirm the story. At half past three, the ship’s log records Lapenotiere stopping briefly while Sykes came on board; — that is three and a half hours after sighting the first strange sail. The two captains conferred while their ships sailed north together, passing Cape St Vincent about 4 p.m. At dusk, Sykes returned to his own ship having been given a note signed by Lape-notiere that read : …..having received positive orders from Vice Admiral Collingwood Commander in Chief I was not to be detained by any Vessel. if any ship should come up to the Pickle I am desired to request the ship to send her boat away as my Dispatches are of the greatest consequence. All three Captain’s logs have anomalies, but their accounts of the actual Battle, verbally given, are all the same because they carry the same errors. It seems the Australian colony received the news of the victory via the direct link from the Pickle, then the Laura, and finally the William Pitt, a female convict ship bound from England via Cape Town to Sydney. The William Pitt sailed from England on the 1 September 1805, arriving at the Cape of Good Hope early in January 1806 where she met up with the Laura in the harbour. She then departed arriving in Sydney on April 11th.


On his arrival, the Captain went straight to Governor King to relate all his news. A Day of Thanksgiving for the Trafalgar Victory was designated by the Governor for April 20th and everyone in the small colony was expected to attend a church service. The ship also carried the news that Captain William Bligh would be replacing King as Governor. Tuesday 29 Meanwhile back on the day after Sykes’s meeting with Lapenotiere ,his ship was moored at the mouth of the Tagus River which leads to Lisbon. Sykes wrote to Collingwood about his encounter with the Pickle finishing with the very self ingratiating words, I have ventured to proceed, (to England) solely activated by a zeal for the service, and in hopes to meet your wishes on the occasion, in becoming a security for the information of the Pickle, should any accident befall her. In thus acting Sir, I much wish to deserve your commendation. And have the honor to be, Your most obedient, very humble servant, John Sykes In this way Sykes became a self appointed rival to Lapenotiere on the mission to England. He decided to try to beat the Pickle to England in contravention of his orders. He had a faster ship and he wanted to have the kudos of being the first man to give the news of the victory to the Admiralty and particularly to get his hands on the £500 due to the winner. At 8am the same day Lapenotiere glimpsed Nautilus astern of him near Burling Island and his immediate reaction was to set every stitch of canvas he could: — the race was on. Wednesday 30. All the next day the two ships hurried on, Nautilus on a more westerly track and each time the seas lifted Pickle up on a crest, the gap between the two ships had narrowed. By noon, off Oporto, Nautilus drew level with Pickle and in the af-ternoon began to draw ahead but, as the weather deteriorated again, Lapenotiere lost sight of his rival. Thursday 31 At dawn as Pickle rounded Cape Finisterre, she became exposed to the full might of a howling gale with a heavy swell from the east, and at 9a.m. disaster struck As Pickle pounded into the head seas a wave swept the ship and tore away the spars and rigging. Soon the forepeak was awash, the pump became blocked and Lapenotiere had to call all hands to form a human chain to bale with buckets. Friday NOVEMBER 1. In the morning they were still bailing for their lives while the storm continued even worse. Lapenotiere decided to lighten the ship by throwing overboard four small Cannon weighing over a ton, thus lowering the center of gravity of the ship. The crew were totally exhausted by then. They had been bailing for 24 hours. They had stared death in the face for so long they had little strength left to give. But by noon the weather finally started to clear and by evening the leak had stopped. The same day at 3p.m, while Lapenotiere sailed in an empty sea, just a few miles ahead and to the west, Sykes met a squad-ron of French warships and for three hours he kept them under observation, thus taking the Nautilus well off her course for Ply-mouth. Saturday 2 was a better day, Lapenotiere saw the unmistakable outline of a line of battleships ahead and at 9am he exchanged identities with the 74-gun HMS Superb which was on its way to join the fleet and was told to board by the Captain but allowed to leave quickly after giving the news and explaining his orders. During the morning the ship sailed virtually under bare masts until, in the afternoon, the gale blew itself out. Sails were set again. Pickle found the entrance to the Channel; the course was north-easterly and with a following wind the Lizard should only be a day's sail away. Just as everything was at last going well and the Pickle was making good time, the wind dropped, leaving the ship becalmed and gradually enveloped by a thick sea mist. Lapenotiere ordered the sweeps to be used (these were large oars that each took three or four men to operate) and for more than four hours the crew strained at their task until the first thin breaths of a breeze showed that the wind was rising again. Sunday 3 Progress was slow but Lapenotiere in the Pickle was now less than 60 miles from the Lizard. He carried on up the Channel and was off Falmouth in Cornwall by nine-thirty the next morning. Monday 4 In the morning more trouble — the tide was against him, and rather than lose precious time, he ordered the jollyboat to be lowered. It would have taken perhaps an hour for his tired and sweating crew to row their Captain into Falmouth. Finally Lapenotiere landed, ten days after he had left the British fleet off Cadiz, with his dispatches safe on his person. The race between Lapenotiere and Sykes continued on land but that’s another story for another Pickle Night Dinner but so as not to leave you all high and dry, Sykes did arrive in London ahead of Lapenotiere but a thick London fog came in and his post chaise became lost in the city. Just retribution by the Gods! Sykes arrived at the Admiralty to be met by the victor — an ex-hausted but exhilarated Lapenotiere having finally delivered his dispatches and telling of the momentous victory and the death of Nelson. Our good Captain had been on another rollercoaster ride as at Traflagar; the fear of losing his ship; the frustration when

becalmed; the relief and pride in landing at Falmouth; and the elation on finally completing the journey and winning the race. Tennyson would have been justly proud of the Captain and crew of the Pickle for they had all been given a truly burnished life experience References News of Nelson Derek Allen, Peter Hore. Seff Edition 2006. Nelson’s Fleet at Trafalgar Brian Lavery. Nat Maritime Museum 2004. Trafalgar Roy Atkins Little Brown 2004 Trafalgar T Clayton P Craig, Hodder and Stoughton 2004



PLACING OF TIME CAPSULE PLAQUE 7TH JAN 2007

Address on the Occasion by the Chairman Mike Sargeant Today we commemorate Horatio Nelson’s funeral, which took place 201 years ago next Tuesday. He was the first commoner to be honoured with a state funeral and it was undoubtedly the most magnificent that London had, and probably has, ever seen. Despite the overwhelming British victory at Trafalgar, Napoleon was still master of continental Europe and the British Government was desperate to provide the public with a grand spectacle to distract them from recent French victories at Ulm and Austerlitz; what better way to divert attention from the adverse fortunes of war than with a glorious ceremonial thanksgiving for the life of a national hero. Thus, no expense was to be spared and the final bill came to the modern equivalent of several million dollars. But even had there been no ongoing crisis, Nelson’s funeral would still have to have been as magnificent and as memorable as it was because of the extraordinary reverence in which he was held by ordinary Britons. In his short lifetime, Nelson had achieved the eighteenth century equivalent of superstar status and in the eyes of the public of Britain and Europe at large (with the notable exception of course, of France!) he could do no wrong. He was universally admired – even Beethoven that inveterate champion of the common man thought Nelson a great hero - and by the time of Trafalgar the adulation had reached a crescendo; after Trafalgar adulation became immortality. The funeral was the first public acknowledgement of that immortality and it was to be a fitting celebration of a life of service to God and country. I think we sometimes forget that despite his reputation as a great warrior, Nelson was also a devout Christian, and while his piety undoubtedly sprang from his upbringing as the son of a country parson, it was nevertheless a conviction that was to strengthen throughout his life and to remain with him to the very end. Although the combination of aggression and religious fervour may seem a little incongruous to many Christians today, Nelson saw no contradiction between his faith - that preached peace on Earth - and his patriotism - that demanded an aggressive defence of his country; indeed with the removal of the First Estate from French national life, he perceived war with Revolutionary France as being not only a fight against the his country’s traditional enemy but also a struggle for his faith, a struggle for which he was quite prepared to make, and indeed made, the supreme sacrifice. No finer example of this admixture of religious devotion and patriotic zeal can be found than when, on the afternoon following the Battle of the Nile, Nelson held a service of thanksgiving in his flagship, HMS VANGUARD, an act that was followed by every ship in the fleet, to the amazement of the French prisoners who were mightily impressed that despite the desperate need to secure their ships and prizes against possible counter-attack, the British could find time to give thanks to the Almighty for a victory gained – and of course another good example can be found in Nelson’s prayer before Trafalgar. Today we also commemorate the burial of our Time Capsule on January 8 last year, and it is our intention that the Society will commemorate the anniversary in this fashion every year until 2055. When we think back over the past 50 years, the world seems to have changed beyond all recognition. In 1957 we had just come through the Suez crisis; the ‘Space Race’ had-n’t really begun; the Viet Nam War was still almost a decade in the future, and such computers as there were, were the size of small buildings and cost a king’s ransom to build. It all seems rather quaint and somewhat naïve now doesn’t it? However, it behoves us not to get too smug about it because over the next 50 years or so we can expect to see further changes - at least those of us who are still here (of course many of us may possibly have made Nelson’s acquaintance by then!) and in 2055, today’s world is going to seem equally quaint and naïve. But some things don’t change; Nelson’s matchless example is one of them, and we can be sure that it will shine as brightly in 2055 as it does now. Let us not forget him.

THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA Founded 2001

To advance public education in the appreciation of the life and character of Admiral Lord Nelson. Nelson was killed at the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st October 1805. In the greatest sea battle, involving 60 ships of the line, over 3,000 men were killed, 3,500 wounded and over 1,000 reported missing.

THE NELSON SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA Patron: Commodore David J Orr. RAN (Retd)

Honorary Life President: Graham Perkins COMMITTEE 2006-2007 Office Bearers: Chairman: Mike Sargeant Vice Chairman: Richard Savage Secretary Bob Woollett Treasurer Ann Nelson Committee Members: John Ashworth, John Caskey Gillian Mead, (Minutes Sec.) David Shannon, Lilian Toomer (Catering co-ordinator ) OTHER POSITIONS Newsletter: Betty Foster (editor), Ted Collinson (photos) Bob Woollett and Lilian Toomer (distribution) Nelson Dispatch Distribution: Gwen Phillips The Nelson Year Book and Archives David Shannon SUB COMMITTEES Memorial Service: Richard Savage (Chair), David Shannon, Ron Ingham, John Caskey, Graham Perkins, John Ashworth and Mike Sargeant. Catering: Lillian Toomer (co-ordinator) Elsie Paice and Renee Almond Pickle Night Bob Woollett, Betty Foster and John Caskey Reception: Cynthia Lyall and Ann Penny

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION Title……….. Name………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. Address…………………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………...Postcode………………………………………………. Telephone……………………………………E-mail………………………………………………………….. Membership Subscription — $25 Cheques to be made out to The Nelson Society of Australia Inc.

Send to Membership Secretary, Bob Woollett,

The Nelson Society of Australia, 28 Norfolk St, Fremantle, 6160 WA Phone 9335 7451


BI-CENTENARY OF THE ARRIVAL OFTHE TRANSPORT ‘WILLIAM PITT’ TO SYDNEY WITH THE NEWS OF THE BATTLE OFTRAFALGAR AND OF THE DEATH OFADMIRAL LORD NELSON

On Sunday, April 13 1806 the Sydney Gazette, under the column headed 'Ship News', announced to the colony: On Friday arrived the William Pitt, an extra ship with female prisoners, in a general state of good health. She sailed from England the first of September last; made the island of Madeira the first of October and stopped three days. In company with an out-ward bound East India convoy, she reached the Cape of Good Hope early in January and from thence sailed for this port. In the same edition of the Gazette, under General Orders, was this item: Almighty God having blessed one of His Majesty's Fleets (under the Command of the much lamented and renowned Lord Nelson of the Nile, who with several distinguished Officers & brave men were slain in the arms of Victory), the signal and decisive Defeat of a French and Spanish combined Fleet greatly superior in number and force, His Excellency the GOVERNOR directs that Sunday next, the 20th instant, be observed as a Day of General Thanksgiving, for the Mercy and Goodness shown to our most Gracious SOVEREIGN and his Dominions. The Rev. Mr Marsden will perform Divine Service, in the front of Government House at ten o'clock; The Rev. Mr Fulton at the Church at Parramatta; Mr Crook, Missionary, at Castle Hill; and Mr Harris, Missionary, at the-Green-hills, Hawkesbury. At which places all persons not prevented by sickness or the necessary care of their dwellings are expected to attend.

G. Blaxcell, Sec.Government House, Sydney,

April 13, 1806.

So the news of one of the most important battles in British history, the Battle of Trafalgar, arrived in New South Wales -Cape Trafalgar, off which the battle was fought, is in southern Spain on the Atlantic coast a little south of Cadiz. But if the William Pitt left England on 1 September and the Battle of

Trafalgar did not take place until 21 October, how did she obtain the news of the Battle? Fortunately the same edition of the Gazette carried a Postscript which revealed the answer. By, presumably the William Pitt, the Governor received news that the Cape of Good Hope (and Cape Town) had been surrendered by the Dutch to a British force on January 10. He also received a copy of the Cape Extraordinary Gazette dated Sunday, January 26, 1806. On Sunday, April 13 1806 the Sydney Gazette, under the column headed 'Ship News', announced it to the colony: This carried the news of the Battle of Trafalgar and the death of Lord Nelson which had been brought to Cape Town by Captain Higginson of the American ship Laura. According to Captain Higginson's report, the Laura had obtained the information from the naval schooner HMS Pickle on October 28. The Pickle had been sent by Admiral Collingwood, who had taken over command of the Fleet after the death of Nelson, to carry his dispatch reporting the news from Trafalgar, off southern Spain, to England and deliver it to the Admiralty in London. (Pickle arrived in Falmouth on November 4 and its captain, Lieutenant Lapenotiere, then travelled by coach the 270 miles to London in 36 hours to deliver the dispatch to the Secretary of the Navy.) The report also states that the information was confirmed by Captain Sykes of the Nautilus which had arrived at Lisbon and that the Laura left Lisbon on November 4. In addition to giving details of the Battle, of the French and Spanish ships sunk and captured and of the British ships damaged, the report gave the names of Lord Nelson, Captain Duff (Temeraire) and Captain Cooke (Bellisle) as having been killed and some other casualty figures. It also stated "Lord Nelson's Telegraph Signal previous to the action was,” ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’

The Sydney Gazette entry was sent by the Woollahra History & Heritage Society to the Chairman of the New Trafalgar Dispatch, a group formed to carry out a re-enactment of the journey of Admiral Collingwood's dispatch as one of the events commemorating the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar. He found the entry interesting and a bit puzzling and after some research has sent this Society the following information: The log of the Pickle records a 'strange sail' at noon on October 28. The researchers have always assumed that this was the Royal Naval Sloop Nautilus which was patrolling off Cape St Vincent (SW tip of Portugal). Captain Sykes was certainly aboard the Pickle during the afternoon where he was given a verbal account of the Battle by Pickle's captain, Lt Lapenotiere. After Sykes returned on board Nautilus he wrote out an account from memory which compounded some errors made by Lapenotiere. He then set off for England, in contravention of his orders, hoping to beat the Pickle and thus be the first to give the news to the Admiralty-in fact, he arrived ten minutes after Lapenotiere. In the Admiralty archives, Sykes' garbled report appears immediately after the Official Dispatch from Collingwood. The Chairman said that the entry about Nautilus being in Lisbon on or before November 4 is particularly interesting. Her log records sending a message in to Lisbon by a Portuguese boat when off the mouth of the Tagus (Lisbon port area), but not going in. However, some English newspapers said that Captain Sykes was ordered to sail for England by the British Ambassador in Lisbon. If the Laura's report is correct, he must have gone into Lisbon but this, is not recorded in his log. Did Captain Sykes forge his log and if so, why? The Pickle's log entry of the 'strange sail' might not have been the Nautilus but the Laura. However, the log of the Nautilus reported meeting and boarding an American ship at about 2 pm on October 28 bound from Falmouth to Leghorn (Italy), but this does not fit with the Gazette report that the Laura left Lisbon on November 4. The Chairman also pointed out that the description of the Battle corresponds closely to the report that Captain Sykes delivered to the Admiralty and contains many of the same errors, including Nelson's famous signal which should read:

‘England Expects that Every Man will do his Duty.’ So, the Sydney Gazette article has given the experts in England some puzzles to think about. In addition to the news of the Battle of Trafalgar and of Nelson's death, the William Pitt brought a number of letters for the Governor from various officials in England. (1) The most important of these was one advising that Spain had declared war on England but King, who was a sick man, was probably more interested to hear, in a letter from Viscount Castlereagh dated 3 July 1805, that His Majesty had appointed Captain William Bligh as his successor and that he would be departing in September - he did not actually leave until February, 1806. This letter also approved Governor's decision to establish a

settlement at the Coal River (Newcastle). (2) Another letter detailed the estimates of the salaries of those holding government positions in New South Wales. The total was £9,225 -the Governor received £1,000 (3). The Victualling Board also informed him that 110,028 pounds of pork and 149,856 pounds of beef had been loaded for the colony together with 7,056 pounds of beef and 14,310 pounds of pork "for the subsistence of the 120 female convicts during the space of the nine months after their arrival" (4). Governor King reported that the ship arrived in good health and that only two women had died with two children having been born on the passage (5). Taking passage in the William Pitt were some free settlers one of whom was to become prominent in New South Wales. This was Gregory Blaxland, accompanied by his family. Blaxland, whose older brother John was to follow him a year later, was a friend of Sir Joseph Banks and had been promised land, convict servants and free passages in accordance with the policy of encouraging settlers "of responsibility and Capital". Selling most of the goods he brought at a good profit, be bought ca t t l e f r om the Government stock and 450 acres at Brush Farm from D'Arcy Wentworth. He and his brother; who received land at Newington, thought they were entitled to far more land than they were granted. As a result of their dissatisfaction with Governor Bligh they supported his arrest by Major George Johnston. The Blaxlands concentrated on cattle and selling meat and dairy products and refused to grow grain which again did not please the authorities. It was, however, the need to find land beyond the Sydney basin for livestock that led Gregory Blaxland taking part in the event in May, 1813, for which he is best known today—the first crossing of the Blue Mountains with William Lawson and W.C. Wentworth as far as a hill later named Mount Blaxland, from which could be seen "enough grass to support the stock of the Colony for 30 years". The drought and depression of 1814 and Governor Macquarie's refusal to grant him land in the interior brought an end to his livestock ambitions, He settled at Brush Farm where he concentrated on experiments with crops, grasses, tobacco and vines. Tobacco was a failure but he took wines with him on visits to London in 1822 and 1828 and won medals with them. On the later visit, he carried a petition in support of trial by jury and representative government. After this, he seems to have disappeared from public view and his suicide on 1 January 1853 hardly rated a mention in the local press. Also

in the ship, was Charles Grimes. Grimes had originally come to New South Wales in November 1790. From then until April 1794 he was employed on Norfolk Island, first doing surveys of the island and then assisting Lieutenant Governor King. Coming back to Sydney, he did many surveys, the Surveyor General, All being virtually incapacitated - Grimes was eventually appointed to the position in April 1 801. He left for England on leave in August 1803 with Commander Matthew Flinders in the Porpoise which was wrecked on Wreck Reef. He completed his passage to England in the Rolla (refer Brief B137 & B145 dealing with the arrival and departure of Matthew Flinders). After his return, he made comprehensive survey of the settlements in New South Wales and also worked in Van Diemens Land. He became involved in the 'rebellion' against Governor Bligh but eventually fell out with Major Johnston who, to get rid of him, sent him to England with dispatches. Because the British Government did not recognise Johnston's authority, Grimes was considered to be absent without leave and his requests to return to New South Wales

West Indies and in England. He died in 1858 leaving a wife and four children — he also had two natural sons, John and George in New South Wales. There is an obelisk to his memory at Dights Falls on the Yarra in Melbourne which marks his discovery of it in February, 1803. On 11 April 2006, the Woollahra History & Heritage Society commemorated, at the South Head Signal Station, the 200th anniversary of the arrival of the William Pitt. Extracts from the Sydney Gazette were read together with other contemporary records and appropriate flags were hoisted on the flagstaff. References: 1. Historical Records of Australia, Vol V, p 261 2. Historical Records of Australia, Vol V, p 489 3. Historical Records of Australia, Vol V, pp298/9 !JZ 4. Historical Records of Australia, Vol V, pp484/5 5. Historical Records of Australia, Vol V, p 717

PETER POLAND FOR

WOOLLAHRA HISTORY & HERITAGE SOCIETY APRIL 2006.

A direct south view of the town of Sydney about 1802 taken from ‘An Account of the English Colony of New South Wales’, 1788 to 1801 by Lieutenant Commander David Collins of the Royal Marines — later Lieutenant Governor of Port Phillip and Van Diemans Land. The second edition 1804 (a year before the Battle of Trafalgar) was much enlarged and edited by his wife Maria who had stayed behind in England.

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809) was born in Rohrau in Lower Austria in 1732, just four years after the Scottish-born surgeon John Hunter (1728-1793) and twenty-six years before that immortal British sailor, Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), but for a time they were contemporary. It may seem strange that their paths crossed, coming as they did from very distant and dis-parate backgrounds. But cross they did, and it is impossible to deny that their individual lives were in some way influenced by the professional output of the others. Haydn was appointed Kapellmeister to the enlightened and wealthy Esterhazy family in 1766, and apart from a brief pe-riod in the 1790’s, during which time he made two visits to London, he held this important post for about thirty years. He was acclaimed one of the three greatest European compos-ers of the half century before 1810. Josef Haydn is known as the father of both the string quartet and of the symphony, not because he invented them but because of his contribution to establishing the stature of both styles of music in the concert halls of Europe. In a wide-ranging and extensive repertoire Haydn wrote eighty-four string quartets and more than fifty piano sonatas. But we are more interested in his fourteen masses, often re-ferred to rather disparagingly as “sacred music of the concert hall”. One inspired work. which he composed in 1798 was the “Nelson” mass in D minor following Nelson’s surprise attack and annihilation of the French fleet at Aboukir or the “Battle of the Nile”. Nelson is known as a born predator with an instinct for annihilation, an instinct he developed not only in seeking prizes but in his attitude towards the arch enemy of the British Navy since the French assisted in the loss of the American colonies. Although the Nelson Mass is a particularly dramatic and emo-tional work, well suited to the grandeur of the hero from whom it takes its familiar name, its connection with the English admi-ral derives from the timing of its first performance in Vienna, shortly after receiving news of the French defeat at Aboukir Bay. In fact the work was originally intended as a birthday celebration for one of the Austrian princesses, and Haydn named it “Missa in angustiis” (Mass in time of tribulation). In re-dedicating his composition Haydn added a trumpet call in the Benedictus, said to recall the courier’s trumpet call when the news of Nelson’s victory reached Vienna. Another major work produced in 1798 was “The Creation”, an oratorio which begins with an evocation of primeval chaos and passes on to describe the three periods of creation, ie the formation of the heavens, the appearance of life on earth, and the creation of man and woman. Our interest in these pieces is twofold.

Anne Hunter was at this time a well-to-do widow, her hus-band, the renowned surgeon/anatomist John Hunter having died five years earlier. She was an educated and talented lady whose poem entitled “My Mother Bids Me Bind My Hair” was set to music by Josef Haydn during his first visit to Lon-don in 1790, the year John Hunter was appointed Surgeon General of the British Army. Anne later supplied the words for two very successful canzonettas composed by Haydn in 1794 and 1795. On hearing the first performance of ‘The Creation’ in London in 1800, many concertgoers were unimpressed with the English translation of the original German libretto, words taken from Genesis and from Milton’s epic ‘Paradise Lost’. George Thomson, a Scottish music lover, promoter and pa-tron of Josef Haydn, and a friend of Robbie Burns, wrote how ‘lamentable to see such divine music joined with such miser-able, broken English’. In response Anne Hunter was moved to write another English version, one which was performed in 1995 for the first time by the Hunterian Festival Choir and Orchestra during the European Surgical Congress in London. Our second interest in Haydn’s work relates to Nelson’s return home after the Battle of the Nile. In September of 1798, as his ships approached Naples, Nelson received a warm invitation from the British Embassy. “Come here,” said Sir William Hamilton, “for God’s sake, my dear friend, as soon as the service will permit you. A pleasant apartment is ready for you in my house, and Emma is looking out for the softest pillows to repose the few wearied limbs you have left.” The Queen of Naples, or more correctly, of the two Sicilies, Marie Carolina, was a daughter of Marie Theresa of Austria and sister of Marie Antoinette, but with the imminent threat of Napoleon’s advance overland from the north there was no love for the French and though the British Admiral was greeted by all as the ‘saviour of Italy’, the Neapolitan Royal family chose to flee the country for their own safety. Lady Hamilton was the Queen’s constant friend and confidant, and as such she played an active role in advising the royal family at the time of their departure. The King Ferdinand, a Spanish Bourbon whose extravagant interest was hunting, presided over a corrupt and inept administration. He imposed on Nelson to assist his fam-ily to escape and to escort them to the Court in Vienna, al-though the decision to make this exhausting journey overland was very likely Emma’s influence. Nelson hardly considered that he had been dealt a good hand despite holding four Queens (Marie Carolina of Naples and her daughters) and the beautiful Emma Hamilton with whom he was immediately besotted. The Lady Hamilton obviously returned his affection and it is said

HAYDN, HUNTER AND HORATIO NELSON

fthat her husband Sir William turned a blind eye to any unacceptable behaviour. It was the early summer of 1800 and she was by then several months pregnant. Their arrival in Vienna was celebrated with concerts and banquets, with everywhere trumpets and cannon-fire in acknowledging the British Admiral who had defeated Napoleon. It became apparent that Nelson’s pres-ence at a theatre would guarantee a full house so he at-tended thirteen of them during his brief stay. On a four day visit toEisenstadt, the Prince of Esterhazy entertained in style with dinner and a concert at which Haydn presented the Nelson Mass in D minor. A modern music writer has said “the Mass is truly symphonic and opens impressively, trumpets and drums to the fore in the ominous key of ‘d minor’, before the entry of the soprano soloist.” It is possible that Haydn also presented an inscribed score of “The Creation” to Emma Hamilton during this visit. This presentation copy was most likely sold at auction with other treasures by Sir William Hamilton on his return to London to meet his escalating debts. It is now on display in the Museum of London. There is no record of Haydn using Anne Hunter’s libretto for “The Creation” during his own lifetime, and it was probably performed for the first time in London almost two hundred years later at a concert sponsored by the Royal College of Surgeons to commemorate the bicentenary of Hunter’s death. John Hunter is universally known as the father of scientific surgery. Emma Hamilton’s fortunes slumped dramatically after the death of Nelson. She was almost penniless when she moved to France where, rather ironically, she was cared for by a Mrs Hunter in Calais during her final illness. ROBERT PEARCE AM RFD Colonel RAAMC FRCS FRACS FRCPS FRCSEd Plastic Surgeon, Perth, Western Australia

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