31/10/2026
On this day in 1914, the first convoy of Australian troops departed for the First World War.
On 1 November 1914, more than 21,000 Australian troops set sail from King George Sound in Albany, Western Australia, joining around 8,500 New Zealanders on a journey that would change their lives and the course of our nation's history.
Escorted by four warships, the convoy carried soldiers, nurses, medical personnel, horses and military supplies. Most believed they were bound for Europe, where they would join the fighting on the Western Front.
Instead, they were diverted to Egypt, where they trained in the desert beneath the pyramids. Just months later, many would find themselves on the shores of Gallipoli, taking part in a campaign that would become a defining chapter in Australia's military history.
For many aboard those ships, the departure from Albany would be their final glimpse of Australia.
Today, 112 years on, we remember the courage, sacrifice and service of those who embarked on that historic journey, and all those who would follow.
Lest we forget.
📸 The first Australian Convoy conveying the first Australian contingent to the Middle East. The convoy, escorted by HMAS Sydney, HMAS Melbourne, and the Japanese ship HIJMS Ibuki, is sailing in three parallel lines shortly after its departure from Albany, WA on 1 November 1914 (Australian War Memorial).
