Chapter 155: Warships Dock
After Arthur's speech concluded, the customary flag-raising ceremony and national anthem followed.
At this time in history, while some nations already had official anthems representing their monarchy and country, many still lacked a clear concept of what a national anthem was. The songs used during large ceremonies and celebrations varied greatly.
However, the British Empire consistently used "God Save the King" for formal occasions and ceremonies, making it the definitive song representing the British monarchy.
As a member of the British royal family, Arthur naturally held the right to use "God Save the King."
For now, "God Save the King" was also the designated anthem for Australia's major public celebrations.
As the solemn and majestic tune echoed across the shipyard, a large Australian flag was slowly escorted to the flagpole by a team of guards. It was then attached to the halyard for raising.
"Long live Australia!"
As the flag ascended the pole, cheers erupted once more from the surrounding open space.
For Australians at the time, witnessing their national and royal flag fluttering in the sky was the most inspiring sight for those who loved their country.
The crowd remained fixated as the flag rose from the base of the pole to its peak and began to unfurl in the wind. Only then did Prime Minister Evan step forward once more to continue presiding over the National Day ceremony.
"Next, we come to the most important part of today's celebration: by order of His Highness the Duke, we will now review the fleet of the Royal Australian Navy!" Prime Minister Evan announced solemnly.
After his words, the crowd turned their attention toward the distant harbor with great anticipation.
In the distance, just at the horizon's midpoint, they could vaguely see a few black dots slowly growing larger—that was the eagerly awaited Australian fleet.
This naval parade was the centerpiece of the entire National Day celebration and the highlight everyone had come to see.
Although everyone knew that Australia didn't yet possess large warships—the largest being armored cruisers of just over 5,000 tons—it didn't diminish their excitement in the slightest.
Since colonial times, the navy had been one of the most vital branches of any nation's military. In island nations, it often surpassed the army in importance. Nations like the British Empire, the world's current foremost power, devoted far more resources to the navy than to the army.
The British Empire's investment in its navy was staggering, which is why the Royal Navy had long maintained undisputed dominance, far ahead of any second or third-ranked navies.
The famous "Two-Power Standard" revealed just how seriously the British regarded their naval supremacy. Preserving the Royal Navy's edge was one of the Empire's most important policies.
Now, most Australians were immigrants from the British Empire, and naturally, they inherited the British tradition of valuing naval power.
During colonial times, though they may have had some sense of belonging to Australia, these immigrants had little reason to expect meaningful naval investment.
Despite Australia's vast land area, its population at the time was only about 3 million.
Even so, the territory was divided into six colonies, each governing independently, without coordination.
Under such conditions, how could anyone expect a strong Australian navy? In fact, even the expense of maintaining 6,000 troops was difficult to bear for the six separate colonies. The navy was composed mainly of ships retired from the Royal Navy or transferred small vessels.
Now, at last, the colonies had unified into a principality, and there had been actual investment and results in naval development.
That was why Australians were now so invested in their navy. After decades of stagnation, they finally saw a glimmer of hope for the navy's rise—even if it was just a beginning.
Seeing how eager the crowd was for the navy's arrival, Arthur stepped forward without hesitation and solemnly declared into the loudspeaker, "Now, under the witness of the Australian flag and all our people, I declare the 1903 Grand Naval Parade of the Royal Australian Navy officially begins!"
With Arthur's command, several officials in the crowd sprang into action.
Three ceremonial cannon shots were fired from the coastal defense battery toward an empty part of the coast, symbolizing the third year since the founding of the Principality of Australia.
It was also a signal to the distant Australian fleet. The cannon blasts marked the official start of the naval parade.
Leading the fleet were the newly launched armored cruisers Australia and Duke Arthur.
These two new warships had been launched just in time for National Day, making it possible for the public to see the most up-to-date ships in the Australian Navy.
From afar, the approaching fleet looked like a collection of small and large black specks. As they slowly advanced, they remained no bigger than sesame seeds to the naked eye.
Australians watched with focused, unblinking attention, eyes locked on the sea beyond the coast, filled with anticipation.
As ship after ship drew closer to the harbor, the outlines of the vessels became clearer.
The tiny specks grew in size—from sesame seeds to soybeans, and then to broad beans.
Because the harbor could not accommodate all the ships at once, the fleet was reviewed in pairs.
Naturally, the first to dock were the new armored cruisers Australia and Duke Arthur.
Once they were fully docked, Australians finally saw the full scale and grandeur of these warships up close.
Although the Duke-class armored cruisers were only medium-sized vessels—and their cost and performance were nowhere near that of a full battleship—they still appeared immense to the average person.
The Duke-class cruisers measured 93.5 meters in length, 17.63 meters in width, and 7.01 meters in height. Up close, they looked like floating buildings.
With both ships docked side by side, it was as if two massive buildings had been erected on the shore.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the two ships before you are the newest additions to our navy: the Duke-class armored cruisers. The one on the left is named Australia, and the one on the right is Duke Arthur," announced two Ministry of Defense officials standing below the review platform, speaking from another location equipped with a loudspeaker.
(End of Chapter)
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on March 2, 2026.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997