Miniature commemorative wooden lifebuoy reading "Remember Me - HMAS SYDNEY", mounting a photograph of HMAS SYDNEY.
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Details
Title: Remember Me: HMAS SYDNEY
Date: 1914 – 1918
Type: Souvenir
Significance: This photograph in its frame a poignant reminder of the significant emotional impact that the loss of HMAS SYDNEY had on the nation when she disappeared off Western Australia with all crew in 1941. HMAS SYDNEY had been an embodiment of the pride that Australia had in her troops and the navy. On her return to Sydney after her very successful posting in the Mediterranean, the ship’s then commanding officer, Captain John Collins, RAN, and his crew were greeted by enthusiastic crowds and given a civic reception. On 11 February, a holiday was declared for school students in Sydney, so they could join the thousands of people who witnessed the ship's company perform a freedom of entry march. Their success at Cape Spada had made them famous and extremely popular throughout Australia.