VISIT ENDED

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 77, 28 September 1933, Page 10

VISIT ENDED

AUSTRALIAN CRUISERS

The farewell given to the two units of the Australian Navy, H.M.A.S. Canberra and H.M.A.S. Australia, when they loft Wellington, yesterday afternoon for Cook Strait where they carried out combined exercises with H.M.S. Dunediu and H.M.S. Diomede last night and this morning was ample evidence of the keen interest aroused by their visit.

The King's "Wharf, where the ships were berthed, was crowded with people, and it was not until the cruisers were steaming down the harbour that the crowd dispersed. The Australia was the first to leave her berth, and she waited in the stream off Orient** Bay for the flagship to move from the wharf and take the lead. Punctually at 3.30 p.m., the Canberra's hawsers were released from the wharf, and to the strains of "The Girl I Left Behind Me" and f'Auld Lang Syne," played by the ship's band, the vessel glided gracefully out into the inner harbour. A call for cheers for tho Australian Navy was responded to heartily by tho crowd. As the Canberra'drew out from the wharf, Roar-Admiral K. JDalglish, C.8., 8.N., .who is in command of the squadron, appeared on tho bridge and bade farewell to the crowd.

In the bright sunlight of. the spring afternoon, the cruisers presented a majestic sight as, with their decks lined with officers and men, they steamed up the harbour. From vantage points in the city many people watched the progress, of the ships until they were lost to sight round Point Halswell. ''■'.'.■. ■ ' ..'•■ ■-■. ■'

Among the crowd on the wharf were many girls, no doubt there to say a final goodbye to newly-found friends, and the playing of "The Girl I Left Behind Me/ seemed appropriate for the Occasion. Many farewells were directed from the wharf, and a nod here and there among the lines of men indicated [that the message had been received.

Keferring at last night's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board to tie visit to Wellington, of H.M r A.S. Australia and lOf.A.S. Canberra, the chairman (Mr. C. M. Turrell) said that Bear-Admiral Dalglish was very pleased with the facilities afforded by the board. Everything went off very smoothly so far as the board was concerned, and nothing, more.could have been done by the board than was done. A framed photograph showing IT.it.A.S. Canberra, passing under thf Sydney brJdgo was passed round the board table. This, said Mr. .Turrell, had been presented to the board by the wardroom officers of (ho warship,